NUAC Secretary General Park Chan-bong said that more active unification movement by overseas Koreans and their interest in it is required under the situation of necessary cooperation of the surrounding countries for national unification.

Delivering a keynote address at the 2014 Asia Europe Youth Conference held on March 13 in HCMC of Vietnam, he noted that the Korean peninsula was divided into South and North under the situation of cold war in the world. We should realize our responsibility for unification, which does not come to us by waiting; instead, we should come to unification, he added.

Public Diplomacy Secretary General Park emphasized the need for us to make the surrounding countries recognize that the unification of the Korean peninsula would be of great benefit to them as well and enhance their interest in the unification of the two Koreas.

He believes that the Republic of Korea should fulfill its responsibilities in unifying the peninsula. The unification of 80 million people should be accomplished with the identity of Koreans, he says, reiterating the important roles of overseas Koreans for national unification.

Passing the East Sea Bill in the State of Virginia of the USA was made possible by the positive efforts of Koreans living in the States. The issue of naming the sea as the Sea of Japan and the East Sea is in fact a sensitive issue to solve at the government level but was achieved thanks to the efforts of Koreans living in America, he emphasized.

According to him, overseas Koreans should endeavor to lead public opinions of the societies where they stay regarding the unification of the Korean peninsula and diffuse the affirmative image of the peaceful unification of Korea. Low trust between countries hinders promoting the unification policy efficiently. The role of overseas Koreans is a private diplomat for national unification, he says.

Relationships of communication and cooperation between the citizens and communities of each country are very efficient in improving diplomatic relations, managing and solving the conflicts and disputes between countries. Youths are the driving force of national unification, and their capability for unification should be strengthened; they should commence discussion on the unification of the Korean peninsula in the country where they live, he added.

According to Park, the benefits and conveniences of national unification are tangible and intangible values ranging from the economy to politics, military, society, and culture. Such benefits and conveniences are recycled as enormous energy of unification, he says. He believes that they can alleviate the threat to security in Northeast Asia and prevent the issue of nuclear domino which many people are worrying about and that a Unified Korea could stand in the middle of economic integration of the region and build a logistic hub through the Eurasia railroad.

Change of North Korea is unavoidable to achieve a unified Korean peninsula. Peaceful unification should be promoted more actively. In this regard, the youth members of NUAC and overseas Koreans are encouraged to fulfill their roles of participating in the course of national unification, realizing the identity of unification, he said, ending his keynote address.

According to An Jeong-heon, former president of Dia University, Vietnam made a socialist people's republic, but the Vietnamese people believe they can give up socialism for Vietnam. We should find and suggest a completely new national vision that is acceptable to the two Koreas and which can be accommodated by the world powers.

South Korea should continue its remarkable economic growth, which cannot be compared with the North Korean economy, and a visible system wherein our achievements can be shared with North Koreans should be established, he explained.

Prof. Park Ihn-hwi of Ewha Womans University noted that US$20 billion could be saved every year in the area of national security when the Korean peninsula is unified. South Korea alone can double its GDP with unification. A prerequisite of the bonanza of national unification is the recovery of the North Korean economy. Many specialists forecast that a unified Korea could be a big G7 power in 2030, outperforming the UK and France and ranking among the world's top 5 by 2050.

The status of a unified Korea will not only be raised by connecting the continental economy with the ocean economy but will also be the precondition of peace in Northeast Asia and the world, he stressed.

The 2014 Asia Europe Youth Conference was organized by the Vietnam Municipal Chapter; a total of 110 council members from Japan, China, ASEAN, and Europe attended the conference last March 12 ~ 14.