The members pledged to lead efforts to build an era of unification and give happiness to 78 million Koreans on the occasion of launching the 16th Japan Municipal Chapter, the ceremony for which was held in each area of Japan.

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Ceremonies to launch the Japan Municipal Chapter were held in the eastern region on July 12, Geunkee on July 12, western region on July 15, and central region on July 16.
The launching ceremony proceeded with the presentation of the letter of designation, reports on the action plans of the 16th National Unification Advisory Council, and lectures on national unification.

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Park Chan-bong, Secretary General, presented the letter of designation to the Council members, executive members, and secretaries on behalf of the President. He also presented a letter of appreciation to the former head of the Japan Municipal Chapter.

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• The heads of the municipal chapters in Japan congratulated themselves for being assigned as members to the 16th National Unification Advisory Council and pledged to devote themselves to service for their compatriots' society in Japan, harmony of the Korean communities, and national unification. They also promised to contribute to the development of our fatherland.

Oh Gong-tae, Vice-chairperson of the Japan Municipal Chapter, attended the eastern area and central area. He emphasized in his congratulatory speech the need for us to participate most positively in the government's policy for North Korea and to consolidate all of our energies and strength to realize the peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula with liberal democracy.

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Consul generals to each region of Japan offered their congratulations on the ceremony for launching the municipal chapters and expressed hopes that the members would continuously collect opinions of their compatriots' society on making contributions to peace in the Korean Peninsula and development of relations between the two Koreas. They also emphasized the importance of contributing to the establishment of environments for peaceful unification through friendly exchanges with the influential Japanese.
Finally, the consul generals to Japan asked the participants to help revitalize the global Korean networks and unity and harmony of compatriots' communities in Japan as well.

• "The development of Korea is attributable to the devotion and contribution of overseas Koreans. We are now expecting them to make further contributions to the unification of our fatherland in close connection with the government," said Park Chan-bong, Secretary General, in his welcoming speech.
  According to him, the change of the Korean Peninsula cannot be isolated from the change of overseas compatriots' society, and overseas Koreans should ensure harmony through dialogue and coordination among them, avoiding ideological confrontation. "It has something in common with the government's policy of the Korean Peninsula Trust-Building Process to realize peaceful unification for the happiness of 75 million people, based on the market economy system of liberal democracy,” he stressed.

• Jo Jin-gu, researcher, explains the action plan of the 16th Council. He also explained the roles and functions of the National Unification Advisory Council and the path that overseas municipal chapters should follow. Since many of the members cannot understand Korean language well, his report and explanation were given in Japanese to enhance their understanding of the government policy.

• During the second session of the conference, Dr. Jin Chang-soo, manager of the Japan Research Center of Sejong Institute, gave a lecture in Japanese on the government's policy for the North. He also explained the past administration's policy for the North along with the keynote of the current administration, dubbed "Korean Peninsula Trust-Building Process."

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After the lecture, the question and answer session ran for a long time.

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The inaugural session and lecture ended with the participants singing “Our Wish is Unification.”

Park Chan-bong, Secretary General of the Council, paid a visit to the Korean Embassy to Japan to discuss with Lee Byung-gi, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Japan, and held meetings with the consul generals to Japan to discuss the roles of the National Unification Advisory Council and unity of Korean communities in Japan.

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Park Chan-bong, Secretary General of the Council, collected the opinions of Korean communities and members on the government's policy on unification. He asked them to strengthen harmony and communication among overseas Koreans in Japan since their concentration and unity can be the foundation of the unification of the Korean Peninsula. Attendants appealed for more support for and interest in the overseas compatriots' society from their homeland and for the latter to provide more opportunities for the next generation to come to Korea to learn Korea and its language better.

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The Secretary General and the delegation visited Baekdu Ethnic School whose chairperson of the board is Kim Seong-dae, Head of the Geunkee Municipal Chapter of Japan, and listened to the opinions of the third generation of Koreans living in Japan. During their visit to the school, the delegations watched the students practice the traditional farmer's music of Korea. Sincere desire and inspiration of the members of the municipal chapters in Japan are believed to be crucial factors for achieving national harmony and preparing for national unification during the two-year term of the members of the Council.