New Paradigm of Unified Korea
- Miracle from Hangang River to Daedonggang River -
「Open Forum for Peaceful Unification」 Jointly Organized by 9 Institutions and Organizations Related to Unification Preparation Including the National Unification Advisory Council (NUAC) in Commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of Independence
NUAC (Executive Vice-chairperson: Hyun Kyung-dae; Secretary General: Park Chan-bong) held an open forum for the peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula under the title “New Paradigm of Unified Korea – Miracle from Hangang River to Daedonggang River” last March 12 at the Press Center in Seoul, South Korea.
Opening Ceremony of the Open Forum
The open forum was organized jointly by the government department, institutions, NGO, and academic circles related to national unification to commemorate the 70th anniversary of independence of Korea and participated in by 9 organizations including the Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice, Presidential Committee for National Cohesion, Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation, National Unification Advisory Council (NUAC), Korean Association of North Korean Studies, Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), Korea Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises, Export-Import Bank of Korea, and Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK) (organized by the Economic Affairs, Science & Environment Standing Committee of NUAC).
The opening speech was given by Hyun Kyung-dae, Executive Vice-chairperson of NUAC. Sohn Gil-seung, Chairman of the Unification and Economy Committee of FKI, Han Kwang-ok, Chairman of the Presidential Committee for National Cohesion, Mong San, Co-Representative of the Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice, Kwon Seon-joo, President of IBK, Cho Sung-ryul, President of the Korean Association of North Korean Studies, Min Heung-sik, Vice President of Export-Import Bank of Korea, and Song Jae-hee, Full-Time Vice President of the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Industries, welcomed the participants at the forum.
Hyun Kyung-dae, Executive Vice-chairperson of NUAC, Delivering the Opening Speech
“We have been making all-out efforts to overcome the current division of the country and achieve peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula for the past 7 decades, but it is not at all easy to unite our fatherland into one. A too functional approach to the issue while discussing national unification may neglect the ‘Value of National Unification,’ which is like failing to see the forest for the trees,” said Hyun Kyung-dae in his opening speech at the forum.
According to him, the value of national unification we pursue is the unification to make 80 million Koreans happy including 25 million people living in North Korea. “The value we are trying to gain is free democratic fundamental order and peaceful unification, as stipulated in Article 4 of the Constitution of South Korea”, he stressed.
Finally, he noted that this open forum, organized jointly by 9 organizations and institutions having different purposes, is helpful in forming people’s bond of sympathy, providing a good opportunity to draw national consensus on national unification. “The Miracle of Hangang River in the south should move to Daedonggang River in the north for North Koreans to carry out free and creative economic activities; eventually, they can choose the government according to their free will based on a free democratic system. Such change will be the foundation of national unification,” he explained.
Attendants in the Open Forum
(from left to right: Min Heung-sik, Vice President of Export-Import Bank of Korea; Song Jae-hee, Full-Time Vice President of the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Industries; Mong San, Co-Representative of the Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice; Han Kwang-ok, Chairman of the Presidential Committee for National Cohesion; Hyun Kyung-dae, Executive Vice-chairperson of NUAC; Sohn Gil-seung, Chairman of the Unification and Economy Committee of FKI; Kwon Seon-joo, President of IBK, and; Cho Sung-ryul, President of the Korean Association of North Korean Studies
[Welcome Speech]
* Sohn Gil-seung, Chairman of the Unification and Economy Committee of FKI
:“It is my first public appearance as chairman of the Unification and Economy Committee of FKI since it was established. I will make my best efforts for a unified Korea, making use of my knowledge and experience in the business field for the past 5 decades. I am now working on the master plan to develop the North Korean economy using the experience in developing the South Korean economy, called the miracle of Hangang River.”
* Han Kwang-ok, Chairman of the Presidential Committee for National Cohesion
:“We should deeply consider what we should do to achieve peaceful unification. We should not be disappointed when we see no immediate and visible results; ceaseless and in-depth public discussion on the issue will surely lead to the unification of our country, which will be the completion of grand integration of the people in the Korean peninsula.”
* Mong San, Co-Representative of the Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice
:“What seed should I plant? We should think about what kind of seed we should plant and how it will grow to create a world where south and north can live together peacefully. The authorities of South and North Korea should view inter-Korean relations with the eyes of two different things existing together. Building trust through dialogues and cooperation and humanitarian aid and restarting economic cooperation and other realistic improvement of the relations will lead to conversion into a realistic peaceful system on the Korean peninsula.”
* Kwon Seon-joo, President of IBK
: “IBK or the Industrial Bank of Korea has been making contributions to the miracle of Hangang River by supporting the small and medium enterprises of South Korea, and we have been sincerely preparing for national unification including education for North Korean refugees to understand economy and financing, supporting their own business startup, which we call Cafe Red Cherry, and introducing a bankbook wishing for the unification bonanza. Small and medium enterprises should thrive to achieve the Daedonggang River Miracle in North Korea. IBK established a plan on how to cultivate small and medium business in 3 areas in the north, and we will provide financing support for unification.”
* Cho Sung-ryul, President of the Korean Association of North Korean Studies
:“600 North Korean experts join the Korean Association of North Korean Studies, the largest academic organization in South Korea. I think this kind of open forum can provide the right subject at the right time in the aspect of considering the way of preparing for unification, namely ‘from little unification to large unification’ through south-north economic cooperation based on our past experiences in developing the economy. This kind of open forum for peaceful unification can be a political network on 1.5 track connecting the public and private sectors.”
* Min Heung-sik, Vice President of Export-Import Bank of Korea
：“We have been operating the ‘South-North Korean Cooperation Fund,’ and we opened the North Korean Research and Development Center in 2014. Transferring to North Korea the experiences in developing the economy, which brought forth the Hangang River Miracle, will support the economic development that North Korea wants and lead to the Daedonggang River Miracle. It will help North Korea proceed with reformation and open-door policy under a friendly environment. Export-Import Bank of Korea has been trying to realize the Eurasia Project for cooperation among South and North Korea, China, and Russia.”
* Song Jae-hee, Full-Time Vice President of the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Industries
：“The Unification Economy Preparation Committee of Small and Medium Enterprises was established last November, and it will study its future strategy for post-unification preparation. Private-level exchange and cooperation with North Korea as well as revitalizing economic cooperation such as the Gaesung Industrial Complex will be expanded in close discussion with the government. Establishing the second and third industrial complexes in special economic zones like those in Haeju, North Korea and large companies’ entry will move up the day of national unification.”
The open forum attracted as many as 300 experts in national unification and economic issues in North Korea and related persons from 9 co-organizers to discuss the economic development of North Korea and its strategy by area and propose an alternative policy.
Experts and panelists agreed that “what” should be done for cooperation is important for revitalizing economic cooperation between the two Koreas, including the sustainable economic development of North Korea. Note, however, that advising on “how” to cooperate will be more efficient as well as the priority for North Korea to develop its own economy and realize reformation and open-door policy. In particular, they paid attention to transferring to North Korea South Korea’s successful experience and know-how, called The Hangang River Miracle.
< First Session: Toward the Miracle of Daedonggang River – New Paradigm of a Unified Korea >
- Prof. Huh Kyung-hoe, Presentation by Prof. Jwa Sung-hee, Prof. Nam Sung-wook, Director Jun Hong-taek (compere of the session), Kim Yung-yoon, and Lee Seung-ryul -
< Second Session: Unified Economy Roadmap for the Miracle of Daedong River – Proposing Policy for Unification Preparation >
-Cho Bong-hyun, senior researcher, Univ. president Bae Jong-ryeol, Choi Soo-young, invited researcher, Prof. Cho Dong-ho (compere of the session), Kim Young-hoon, manager, and Prof. Lim Eul-chul Lim-
The open forum discussed the strategy for revitalizing economic cooperation between the two Koreas by public and private sectors and studied 1.5 track policy networks. The forum provided an opportunity to consolidate unification discussions by economic subject, which were scattered in many directions.
Meanwhile, the open forum commemorating the 70th anniversary of independence will be held three more times this year to collect the opinions of the relevant organizations and groups by area in preparation for national unification.
