The NUAC Seoul Assembly (Vice-chairperson: Son Kyung-sik) held the “2016 Unification Sympathy Harmony Festival” on August 20 at the KBS Sports World Gym No. 2, hosted by the Women’s Standing Committee (chief: Kim Young-sook).

The “Unification Sympathy Harmony Festival” started back in 2014; it is an event wherein North Korean defectors are invited to have a time of communication with NUAC members.

This year’s event presented “Happier Us” as the slogan and consisted of an array of Scene programs — Scene of One Heart, Scene of One Family, Scene of One Everything — including talent donation congratulatory performance and peaceful unification hand-printing performance. About 700 of North Korean defectors and NUAC members spent the day together, having meals and enjoying the cool weather.

[2016 Unification Sympathy Harmony Festival program]

Part 1: One Heart: Train to unification, Unification OX quiz, One Heart One Direction, etc.

Part 2: One Family: Dodgeball, tug-of-war, One Family relays, etc.

Part 3: One Everything: Talent donation performance, Stage games, Singing “Our Wish,” etc.

“Let’s have all the North Korean defectors and members of NUAC support each other and have everyone strive for change in North Korea as a leader in unification and reduction of needless South-South conflict so that true union in the nation can be formed,” said Kim Young-sook, chief of the Women’s Standing Committee of the Seoul Assembly who hosted the event, in her opening speech.

• 

  Opening address: Kim Young-sook, chief of the Women’s Standing Committee of the Seoul Assembly

• 

  Congratulatory message: Kwon Tae-oh, NUAC Secretary General

Secretary General Kwon Tae-oh called for continued attention and effort by the Seoul Assembly as well as the 25 Municipal Chapters for the secure settlement of North Korean defectors. “We hope that today’s event will serve to build a strong connection between you and NUAC and strengthen the hope and dream for unification. As new members of the Republic of Korea, you are asked to strive with the rest of us for the growth of our society and for a unified Korea,” he said, addressing the defectors attending the event.

This event ended with everyone singing “Our Wish” in unison. It left behind many happy memories and the promise of a better future.