The Culture, Arts, & Sports Standing Committee (chief: Ko Hak-chan) held its first meeting in 2015 (8th meeting of the committee) on Feb. 25 at the secretariat of NUAC to discuss the “Sustainable Unification Culture Movement.”

• In his opening speech, Ko noted that, although the recent relationship between south and north is far from smooth, it is important for us to keep our strong will of ensuring that the way to national unification remains visible. More realistic and sustainable efforts in the culture, arts, and sports areas are essential to recover national homogeneity, he added, wishing that more diversified wisdom can be gathered through active discussion.
  ◁ Ko Hak-chan delivering the opening speech

• The continuation of tight inter-Korean relations and discussion on national unification focusing on the policy has weakened preparation for unification that the people can realize, and they would start to have doubts. We need the unification cultural movement of harmony and emotion to overcome the division through culture, arts, and sports and eventually unify the country,” said Prof. Jun Young-sun of Konkuk Univ.
  ▷ Prof. Jun Young-sun of Konkuk Univ.

According to Prof. Jun, various cultural events will be promoted on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of independence and division in 2015, and they should be implemented in a way that commemorates the meaning of independence, overcomes the division, and promises the unification and integrity of Korea.

The following sustainable unification cultural movements were discussed: △ producing record albums to which South and North can sing along; △ promoting regular exchange between South and North (youth arts group, arts festival, sports exchange such as Taekwondo, Ssireum (Korean traditional wrestling game), and traditional Korean archery, and native arts of South and North, including making use of the unification cultural space in each city and province (e.g., Unification and Future Center of the Korean Peninsula in Yeonchun); △ organizing a consultative group on the unification culture policy, and; △ developing a tailor-made unification culture education program.

Discussions held during the day will be combined with those of other committees and will be reported to the president in March under the title “Promoting Preparation for Unification Together.”