Hyun Kyung-dae, the Executive Vice-Chairperson of NUAC, held a press conference with local journalists last Mar.11 at Incheon Songdo Ramada Hotel and said, "Incheon will hit the jackpot when unification is achieved.” He visited Incheon first in a series of national tours for "Convention of People's Sympathy with National Unification " and added, "Incheon will play a key role of a hub of Korean peninsula when unification is achieved, as Incheon has been a mediator for South-North cooperation".

Hyun tried to dispel the concerns that some Koreans have in terms of the "chaos and increased economic burden" that may be caused by national unification. He also made efforts to proliferate the idea that "Unification will be a bonanza" that will bring enormous profit both to South and North Korea, as President Park has also stated.

He said, "According to some surveys, the younger generations in Korea prefer to maintain the status quo of national division, rather than unification. It is true that some people worry about our having to feed the North Koreans and that our jobs will be reduced. However, considering the objective prospects that have been brought by several research institutes, these concerns are based on incorrect assumptions."

Hyun added, "Reports prepared by national research institutes and global investment agencies reveal that by combining the technology and capital of South Korea with the natural resources and labor force of North Korea, the economy of a unified Korea will grow rapidly. The military costs of keeping the two Koreas divided will be reduced from the current 3% of the Korean GDP to 1%".

He explained that since North Korea is essential and economic wasteland, it needs to make a massive investment in developing the social infrastructures in North Korea. The benefits and profits that companies can gain from doing this are far greater than the expenses required for building these types of infrastructures. As all the resources and real estate in North Korea belong to the state, various expenses for building infrastructures can be reduced when the Korean peninsula is unified.”

He continued, "The manpower to build the social overhead capital (SOC) of North Korea should be supplied by the North Korean people and it will greatly increase their personal earnings, which will allow them to improve their living conditions.” He eliminated worries about excessive fiscal spending by the South Korean government for the welfare of North Koreans.

For the question that preparation for it by the South Korean government is insufficient, compared to the national discussion proliferating "Bonanza of Unification", he replied that Ministry of Justice of South Korea has been operating "Unification Legal Affairs Division" to study the laws and systems of North Korea for years. As such preparations have been proceeding at the government level and President Park has been endeavoring to build a base for national unification, unification scenarios have already been well prepared.

Regarding accepting North Korean supporters who wish to attend the Incheon Asian Games, he said, "The government department in charge will make this decision. The current inter-relationship between South and North Korea has changed remarkably since last year. Considering that the internationalization of Gaeseong Industrial Complex is proceeding and that the reunion of separated families took place during Korea-U.S. military exercise of Key Resolve, trust between the two Koreas would be built further through Korean peninsula Trust-Building Process.

Hyun did not refrain from pointing out the North Korean regime's practice of importing luxurious articles and neglecting the hunger of its own people. He said, "Recently, the North Korean regime spent more than 600 million USD to import luxury goods. According to a report by one international organization, 100 million USD is required to provide North Koreans with an urgent food supply. Food shortages in North Korea can be solved now, before unification, if North Korean regime would try to do so."

16 local journalists, including Song Won-yeong , who is the Incheon Regional Director of the Hankook Ilbo Daily, attended the conference to ask various questions about the roles of the National Unification Advisory Council and to speak to the Executive Vice-Chairperson of the NUAC Hyun Kyung-dae, in relation to the unification of the two Koreas.

In the meantime, 500 citizens and council members of Incheon participated in the Convention of People's Sympathy with National Unification that was held at 2 p.m. on the day.