Seoul's minister calls for new reunification road map

South Korea's point man on inter-Korean affairs on Wednesday called for drawing up a new road map for the reunification of the Korean Peninsula that has been divided since the late 1940s. Back in 1989, Seoul put forth a three-phase unification process of reconciliation and cooperation, the creation of a Korean commonwealth and then the achievement of a unified Korea, which has since served as the basic framework for the country's reunification plan. "It is doubtful that the three-stage reunification plan is enough to present concrete ways to national reunification ... Now is time to revise the process," Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae said in a forum held in Seoul. Given changing circumstances over the past 25 years, the two Koreas "are forecast to experience the first stage of reconciliation and cooperation longer than previously expected," Ryoo said, suggesting "extensive discussions are needed to reach a consensus to devise a new road map next year Stressing that aiming at reunification is "a must," he called for strengthening education on reunification issues for the younger generation. "It is a serious problem that the young people are indifferent to the issue ... One of the most important measures to get prepared for the reunification is to foster the future generation who will take charge of the long-cherished dream of the people," Ryoo said. Though North Korea "is an entity that poses a threat to national security," he said now is the time to "boost inter-Korean cooperation" because the people there are suffering under dire circumstances. Amid recent signs of thawing inter-Korean relations, South Korea has revved up efforts to stress the need to achieve reunification of the peninsula, with President Park Geun-hye drawing attention from the international community by calling reunification "a jackpot."    The two Koreas remain technically at war, as the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.