The 131st Executive Committee of NUAC was held on Jan. 27 at the secretariat office in Seoul, Korea. As the first gathering of its kind, the event proceeded with △ the opening remarks by Hyun Kyung-dae, △ greetings by Park Chan-bong, secretary general, △ report on the “Promotion of Preparing for Unification” by Choi Jin-wook, director of the Korea Institute for National Unification, △ reporting and deliberation on the 2015 Major Business Plan of NUAC, and △ other matters related to operation.

“2015 marks the 70th year since division of the country and national liberation. This year should bring forth new momentum for national unification. NUAC owes a lot to the executive committee members for its successful performance last year thanks to their hard work as a key subject of national unification movement. I wish you will keep doing your best for the remaining term,” NUAC executive Vice-chairperson Hyun Kyung-dae said in his opening speech.

Hyun mentioned the recent NUAC reports to the President. “NUAC is the one and only constitutional organization for preparing national unification, and it has been playing the role of unifying the national will and desire for unification and abilities along with consultation and recommendation of the policy concerned. Therefore, it is quite natural for NUAC to be a central body for promoting the unification movement. Since the chairperson of NUAC is the president, who regards the preparation for unification as the most important subject of national affairs, we should pour all-out efforts for it now more than ever,” Hyun stressed.

Hyun said that President Park regards national unification to be a “stream of era that we cannot go against”; accordingly, all national efforts and strength should be focused on unification, and unifying the two Koreas is the essential spirit of the era. Furthermore, helping North Korean refugees settle successfully in the South Korean society is a “rehearsal for unification” as President Park mentioned. In this regard, we should regard supporting them as not mere simple welfare or word but as preparation for national unification.

“Let’s get ready to make one Korea, saying goodbye to the 70-year division. NUAC should be at the forefront in unifying the Korean peninsula,” Hyun Stressed.

According to Secretary General Park Chan-bong, NUAC will prepare for unification in 3 dimensions: central, local, and overseas levels. He emphasized the roles of local government assemblies, noting that the city and provincial governments of South Korea select their counterparts in the North and prepare what they need in advance. Vice-chairpersons of the municipal chapters of NUAC are encouraged to be ready for unification at the local government level, he added.

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  Park Chan-bong, Secretary General

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  Choi Jin-wook, Director of the Korea Institute for National Unification

Choi suggested four basic directions in preparing for unification while reporting the current policy under the subject of “Direction of Promoting Preparation for Unification:” △ Strong national security should be maintained; △ Promotion of small but practicable works; △ Expansion of intimacy between South and North; and △ Promotion of the preparation in an orderly, calm manner.

“Preparations for unification have been considerably constant since Park’s administration was established. People’s eagerness toward unifying the country was enhanced by the president’s theory of ‘Unification Bonanza,’ and the current government is differentiated from previous ones with its advocacy of coexistence between South and North Korea by deciding on peaceful unification as a keynote of state affairs. Still, we should point out that no unification governance of preparing for unification – wherein private, public, and government sectors participate – exists,” he said.

According to planning coordinator Kim Jum-jun, NUAC will renovate its organization and accelerate the active unification movement, communication, and cooperation called “Unification 3.0” as its major subject to promote this year.

Unification 3.0 includes the following: △ strengthen the representativeness of NUAC members; △ develop customized “little unification movements”; △ develop the agenda of practical unification preparation and disseminate it among the people; △foster a healthy future generation of unification; △ build up governance of consultation in preparation for unification, and; △ revitalize the One to Five Movements to Meet with National Unification to support North Korean refugees in their successful settlement.

After the report by the planning coordinator, executive committee members asked the secretariat to exert more efforts to secure the necessary budget for each region and revitalize support for the youth who escaped from North Korea. The year’s business plan was also resolved.

Kim Ki-chol, Vice-chairperson of the Americas Assembly, Lee Hoon-bok, Vice-chairperson of the China Assembly, and a lot of other members from overseas municipal chapters attended the meeting.