At a confirmation hearing held earlier, he ballyhooed about "a responsible measure of the north" concerning the "May 24 step" and "the south's stand not to allow the nukes of the north." He went the lengths of talking about "contingency," revealing his daydream.

Rodong Sinmun Friday observes in a commentary in this regard;

His remarks clearly revealed extreme distrust and hostility towards the fellow countrymen and a scenario to achieve "unification of social systems" as they fully reflected the stand and attitude of the present regime towards the north-south relations.

What he vociferated as soon as he held the post brings to light the true colors as a diehard confrontation element little short of his predecessors.

It is quite hard to remove the hurdle lying in the way of mending the north-south relations as the post of minister of Unification is held by Hong who knows only confrontation of social systems, utterly indifferent to reconciliation and unity between the north and the south.

Tragedy is that he is utterly ignorant of his future fate. What he uttered is as foolish an act as pricking his own eyes.

He should draw a due lesson from the miserable ends of his predecessors who had been forced to quit, ridiculed and censured by the public without having a single chance of dialogue with the north as they went mad with confrontation, parroting the chief executive's remarks.