The Asia-Europe Youth Conference was held in Shanghai, China for 3 days from May 7 to May 9 to strengthen the capability for national unification of the youth members of the National Unification Advisory Council (NUAC) and seek ways of unification.

A total of 86 youth members including 65 from 17 Municipal Chapters of NUAC in Asia and Europe and 21 women members from Korea attended the Conference organized by the Shanghai Municipal Chapter (Head of the Chapter: Lee Chang-ho) to discuss the Conference’s theme of “National Unification Prepared by the Youth.”

The Conference started with an orientation session for the members on May 7 and a dinner hosted by Lee Chang-ho, chief of the Shanghai Municipal Chapter. An opening ceremony where Secretary General Park Chan-bong gave the keynote address and special lectures were given by Ryu Ming, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Social Science Institute of China, Prof. Namgung Young of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, and Park Kee-tae, Director of VANK was held the following day, followed by a group discussion among the participants. On the last day of the Conference, the results of the group discussion were presented, followed by a general review on the event as a fitting end to the event.

First Day of the Conference, May 7 (Thu.)

Youth members from many countries gathered in Shanghai, China, introduced themselves at the orientation session, and expressed their view on attending the Conference.

“I expect the young members of NUAC to discuss the subject of preparation for national unification most actively and to exchange views broadly during the conference,” said Secretary General Park Chan-bong in welcome.

The youth members hoped to get as much information and knowledge as possible on the preparation for unification while introducing themselves and expressing their views on the conference.

2nd Day, May 8 (Fri.)

The opening ceremony of the conference was held on the second day at 9:00, May 8.

Secretary General Park Chan-bong gave his keynote address titled “70th Anniversary of Independence – Roles of the Youth to Prepare for National Unification.” He noted that the one thing required of the youth of Korea by this era is the preparation for unification. The youth should lead it to make the dream of a unified Korean Peninsula come true, he added.

“The 16th-term NUAC has achieved desirable results of making clear the objective of national unification ─ which was regarded as an indefinite plan in all areas of Korean society ─ through the “Theory of Unification Bonanza,” and the core subject of the 17th-term NUAC will be realizing the unification as a bonanza in the Korean Peninsula. The next term of NUAC should carry on the preparation for unification in three levels: central government, local government, and overseas areas. The overseas organizations of NUAC have the role of establishing the conditions and environments wherein international societies can cooperate on our efforts to unify the Korean Peninsula,” he said.

According to him, three government organizations ─ the Ministry of National Unification, the Committee on Preparation for Unification, and the National Unification Advisory Council (NUAC) cooperate with one another on the preparation for national unification. “One of the roles of NUAC is to lay the basic foundation to develop the agenda for it, and its key subject is to establish the future image of a unified Korea,” he explained.

Lee Chang-ho, chief of the Shanghai Municipal Chapter, which organized the forum, noted in his opening speech that the hero of the unified era will be the youth; therefore, we should strengthen our resolution toward national unification on the occasion of attending this conference to move forward to the unification, he added.

“It is meaningful to hold this Youth Conference here in Shanghai, where the souls of our independence patriots were buried in the year of 70th Anniversary of Independence. I wish the youth members of NUAC will be more active with national pride in the preparation for unification in the countries where you live,” said Lee Hun-bok, Vice-chairperson of the China Assembly, in his congratulatory address.

According to Han Seok-hi, Korean Consul General to Shanghai, the peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula is a mission of all the Korean people ─ one that should be achieved by any means ─ and the historical task of Korea. “The capabilities of all the people of Korea should be concentrated on the task; therefore, all the young generations of Korea living overseas should exert efforts most actively for the future of a unified motherland,” he stressed.

Special lectures were given after the opening ceremony and keynote address.

A special lecture titled “Change of International Situations and Unification of the Korean Peninsula” was given by Ryu Ming, Deputy Director of the International Relations Study Institute of Shanghai.

“Some analyses indicate that the power of America declined but such judgment is too premature. The Chinese economy is currently valued at more than US$ 10 trillion, which is bigger than the economies of France, Germany, and Italy combined and two times bigger than that of Japan but is still only about 60% of the size of the US economy,” Ryu said.

He noted that Chinese tradition emphasizes cooperation and co-prosperity with super powers like America and Russia and maintains reciprocal prosperity with the surrounding countries, considering the neighbors. According to him, China has been establishing a conscience of itself in a group with its neighboring countries sharing destiny as for the benefit and responsibility.

“North Korea will not abandon the development of nuclear weapons because it is their strategic goal; as a matter of fact, North Korea is bringing about real progress in miniaturizing them. China and America have no effective means of dealing with such hard-line position of Pyeongyang,” he said regarding the Korean issues.

Ryu explained Beijing’s position regarding the unification of the Korean peninsula. According to him, the unification of the peninsula will bring lots of benefits to China in the areas of economic cooperation in Northeast Asia particularly the Tuman River Economic Cooperation and economic development in the northeast region of China along with the improvement of the living standard of the people in the area. He quoted one of the Chinese proverbs ─ “Where water flows, there will be a ditch” ─ and stressed that things would be accomplished when the required conditions are provided naturally and China as well as the surrounding countries provide support and cooperation when the proper time comes.

On the other hand, according to Prof. Namgung Young of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, the most essential element of existence of a country is national security and economy, but Korea has been seriously affected by its division. Unification is the solution to such problems, and Korean people’s capability should be saved, he added.

“The beginning of unification is the ‘change of North Korea,’ and the unification issue cannot be discussed without the change of North Korea; we should prepare ourselves for two types of change, whether North Korea would change rapidly or gradually. The unification of the Korean peninsula is in keeping with the global strategy of America, such as the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and proliferation of American value; it also provides a favorable environment by easing the burden of China in the region through long-term peace and stability in Northeast Asia, eventually coinciding with the interest of both America and China. Unified Korea should be a nation of non-nuclear weapons, peace, openness, bridge, democracy, welfare, and market trade,” he stressed.

After lunch, the youth members expressed their views on unification at the session.

Jeung Hwan-hi from Germany explained the past and present of unified Germany and said that we should prepare for the future of national unification by learning from the case of unifying the two Germanys. Kang Dong-jin from the Middle East raised the question on how to explain the unification issue to children living outside Korea.

“Many people around us are not that interested in national unification. Let’s have a talk with our friends about the unification issues sincerely for at least 3 minutes,” said Kim Hui-seon from Gyeonggi Province of Korea.

According to Lee Seong-ho from the Shenyang Municipal Chapter in China, interest and recognition of the overseas Korean society on the unification would grow when the youth members of NUAC participate in the unification activities with a firm vision.

Ham Ho-keun from Vietnam explained the course of unifying the two Vietnams and stressed that the USA was not defeated by North Vietnam; rather, a corrupted, incapable South Vietnam was defeated by North Vietnam, which was supported by the people. He emphasized the importance of people’s support in establishing and maintaining strong nation and society.

“We should be able to explain the national unification issue to the people in the UK with specific vision,” said Ko A-ra, a graduate school student in the UK.

Ha Bo-i from Singapore explained that understanding why the two Koreas should be unified and pouring efforts to get support from the people of the country where we live could serve as grounds for achieving the unification of the Korean peninsula.

She introduced the “COI Reports to Improve the Human Rights of North Korea” and “Appeal of North Koreans who are in great agony to the South Koreans that they are not strangers” prepared by South Korean Ambassador to the UN Oh Jun.

After the unification speech, Park Kee-tae, director of VANK, gave a special lecture about VANK, purpose and activities of VANK, and examples of young people from all over the world who are participating in the movements of VANK.

Park asked the young members of NUAC to tell the people of the country where they live about the Korean history and name of place correctly and draw the support and sympathy of international societies for the future of a unified Korea and peace in Northeast Asia through communication with the young generations of each country.

Group discussions during the conference were held on the subjects of Unification, Public Diplomacy Promoted by the Youth, Sympathy with Unification Led by the Youth, Youth Conference Prepared by the Youth, and Education Material Prepared by the Youth in order to incorporate the opinions of the youth members into the unification-related activities.

Third Day, May 9

The discussion in the four groups lasted for two and a half hours, and the results were presented on 9 May.

After the presentation, comments on it were given by the secretary general and senior members of NUAC.

The youth members paid a visit to Hongkou Park where the Temporary Korean Government Office in Shanghai during the Japanese rule was located and the anti-Japanese movement started by Patriot Yoon Bong-gil was born to commemorate the spirit of our forefathers who fought for the independence of Korea.

The Conference provided the youth members from Asia and Europe with an opportunity to broaden mutual exchange among them and strengthened the will of activities toward national unification in Shanghai, having significant meaning since the 70th Anniversary of Independence was also being celebrated.