The National Unification Advisory Council (Executive Vice-chairperson: Hyun Kyung-dae, Secretary General: Park Chan-bong) held the open forum for peaceful unification on May 12 at Plaza Hotel in Seoul, South Korea under the theme “Future Image of Unified Korea Where 80 Million People Become Happy.“

The Open Forum was organized jointly by government departments related to national unification, civic groups and religious groups, and 8 establishments including NUAC, Presidential Committee for National Cohesion, Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, Korea Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation, Won Buddhism, National Council of Churches in Korea, and Committee for the Reconciliation of the Korean People of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea. It was supervised by NUAC’s Reconciliation Standing Committee of Religion and People.

Hyun Kyung-dae, Executive Vice-chairperson of NUAC, delivered an opening speech during the Forum; this was followed by welcome speeches from Jihong, Director of the Office to Promote an Ethnic Community of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, Hong Sa-deok, Standing Chairman of the Korea Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation, Hwang Yong-dae, Chairman of the National Council of Churches in Korea, Choi Seong-gyu, former Chairman of the Christian Council of Korea, and Lee Gi-heon, Chairman of the Committee for the Reconciliation of the Korean People of the Catholic Bishops‘ Conference of Korea.

“It took only 50 years for the Republic of Korea, one of the poorest countries in the world before, to emerge as one of the world’s major economic powers today. The DNA of the Korean people is that we tend to become stronger amid hardship; when we put to use such DNA, a unified Korea will accommodate 80 million people, its territory will be 220,258 square kilometers, and the GDP per capita will be US$ 40,000 ~ 50,000. Korea will also be one of the most influential countries in the world,“ Hyun said in his opening speech.

According to Hyun, it is not difficult to imagine the future of a unified Korea. “Tremendous synergy effect will be generated by a unified Korea when the abundant underground natural resources and manpower of North Korea are combined with the capital and technology of South Korea. The reserves of iron ore, graphite, magnesite, tungsten, copper, and gold of North Korea rank among the world’s top 10, and they are valued at 7 quadrillion Korean Won, or about 6.5 trillion US Dollars. We can develop them to be a higher value-added business through large-scale development as well as our advanced iron-making, smelting, and fabricating technologies,“ he explained.

He added that extensive social infrastructures will be built in North Korea after unification, and that roads and railroads will be stretched out across the country to connect with China, Mongolia, Central Asia, and up to Europe. “The logistics channel will be secured by connecting with Trans China Railroad and Trans Siberia Railroad.”

“Regarding President Park’s vision of ’Unification Bonanza,’ Park’s administration suggested building the ’foundation of peaceful unification’ and accelerated establishing the environments for national unification. As a result, Korean people could have a sense of ownership and vocation for national unification. The theory of unification bonanza has now become a matter of global interest beyond the Korean Peninsula.” He continued.

First and foremost, we should state our standpoint of free democracy and market economy very clearly during the course of national unification to develop the future of a unified Korea. The best way to build a peaceful Korean Peninsula free from nuclear weapons is for North Korea to choose reformation and open door policy,“ Hyun stressed.

(from left to right: Rev. Park Jong-hwa of Kyungdong Church, Hong Sun-gyeong, Chairperson of the North Korea Democratization Committee, Hong Sa-deok, Standing Chairman of the Korea Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation, Lee Gi-heon, Chairman of the Committee for the Reconciliation of the Korean People of the Catholic Bishops‘ Conference of Korea, Choi Seong-gyu, former Chairman of the Christian Council of Korea, Hyun Kyung-dae, Executive Vice-chairperson of NUAC, Hwang Yong-dae, Chairman of the National Council of Churches in Korea, Lee Seong-heon, Chairman of the Korea Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation, Rep. Park Hong-geun of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy (opposition party of South Korea), Choi Hoe-won, Chief of the Committee of Religion and National Reconciliation of NUAC, and Park Chan-bong, Secretary General of NUAC)

Hyun’s opening speech was followed by welcome speeches by the following, who explained the purpose of this open forum and their activities and plan related to the preparation for unification: Jihong, Director of the Office to Promote an Ethnic Community of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism; Hong Sa-deok, Standing Chairman of the Korea Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation; Hwang Yong-dae, Chairman of the National Council of Churches in Korea; Choi Seong-gyu, former Chairman of the Christian Council of Korea, and; Lee Gi-heon, Chairman of the Committee for the Reconciliation of the Korean People of the Catholic Bishops‘ Conference of Korea.

【Main Contents of each Welcome Speech】

Jihong, Director of the Office to Promote an Ethnic Community of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism: “Official assistance projects of the Jogye Order for North Korea include humane economic assistance for North Korea, recovery of Shingae Temple at Mt. Keumkang, and other exchange cooperation programs. All Koreans wish to extend a hand and wash away the agony and wounds of the people caused by the long division of North and South Korea. We share the same vision of developing a bright and promising future for the Korean Peninsula.”

Hong Sa-deok, Standing Chairman of the Korea Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation: “Over time in the course of efforts for national unification, two questions were raised. First is what the unified Korean Peninsula looks like and what we should do for it and how do we go about it. The first question is raised whenever we get discouraged while promoting various works for national unification with passion. Second is how we should cope with very different aspects between the North and South Korean people to blend them together. This open forum can answer the two questions through experts from various circles of our society.”

Hwang Yong-dae, Chairman of the National Council of Churches in Korea: “Our voice in the preparation for national unification is now collected in society at the time of the 70th anniversary of independence and division. The Monday Prayer for Unification, which is reminiscent of the Candlelight Prayer of Germany, has been gathering the believers be they conservative or progressive. May this open forum provide a good opportunity to open wide the door of unification.”

Choi Seong-gyu, former Chairman of the Christian Council of Korea: National unification without freedom, peace, and happiness is not genuine unification, and our wish is the unification of freedom, peace, and democracy. Unification should contribute to the peace of not only the Korean Peninsula but also the whole world. Peace, reconciliation, and cooperation are required to achieve the future of unification wherein 80 million Korean people can be happy. We need peace without war, reconciliation without conflict, and cooperation without division.”

Lee Gi-heon, Chairman of the Committee for the Reconciliation of the Korean People of the Catholic Bishops‘ Conference of Korea: 2015, the 70th anniversary of independence, should be the first year of making an incomplete independence a true and complete one. True integration of our society and national consensus are required for such. Reconciliation and concurrence from among the various circles of our society should be made; the strength from such reconciliation and concurrence will make a unified Korea where the people of South and North can be happy together.”

Panelists from various circles of society, such as experts in national unification and inter-Korean policy, law makers, North Korean refugees, and religious groups attended the open forum to discuss the strategy by sector in public, private, and international areas for the future of a unified Korean Peninsula and find ways to realize it, collecting diverse opinions from them.

The first session of the forum proceeded with presentation and discussion by Kim Ju-hyeon, adviser of the Hyundai Economy Research Institute, for the economic aspect, Park Jong-cheol, senior researcher of the Unification Research Institute, for the political and national security aspect, and Prof. Kim Byeong-ro from Seoul National Univ. for the social and cultural aspect. Rep. Park Hong-geun of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy (opposition party of South Korea) suggested the roles of the political circles of Korea and method of national integration to prepare for and realize the future image of national unification. Hong Sun-gyeong, Chairperson of the North Korea Democratization Committee, proposed the policy for the reformation and opening of North Korea and method to attract the response of North Korea from the viewpoint of a North Korean refugee.

- Hong Sun-gyeong, Chairperson of the North Korea Democratization Committee, Rep. Park Hong-geun, Prof. Namgung Young, Dean of the Graduate School of Policy, Administration, and Press of Korean Univ. of Foreign Studies, Kim Ju-hyeon, adviser of the Hyundai Economy Research Institute, Park Jong-cheol, senior researcher of the Unification Research Institute, Prof. Kim Byeong-ro, Unification and Peace Research Institute of Seoul National University -

Kim Ju-hyeon explained the future image of unification and the possibility of realizing it by presenting the economic index concerned and suggested a strategy of “Maximization of synergy and minimization of anti-synergy.” According to him, if we simply integrate the economies of South and North Korea at the current level, GDP per capita of a unified Korea will be US$19,000. “But if we maximize the ’synergy of economic integration,’ GDP per capital will exceed US$30,000 within 10 years of unification, and Korea can be a G10 country,“ he said.

Park Jong-cheol, senior researcher of the Unification Research Institute, explained the reason why we need to discuss the future image of national unification at this stage in connection with solving the nuke problem and human rights of North Korea, securing the power of national development, and supporting the preparations for unification by internal and external societies. He suggested the future image of a unified Korea: △ a country that realizes freedom, human rights, welfare, and human dignity based on free democracy and market economy; △ a country that achieves social and psychological integration along with systematic and legal unification; △ a country that improves the quality of life of all the people from South and North Korea, and; △ a country of peace free from nuclear weapons. He emphasized “securing sustainability as a key to unification” by forming national consensus for the future image of a unified Korea.

Prof. Kim Byeong-ro explained the vision of national unification in connection with “overcoming the cost of division” (geographical open system, relieving the unease over national security, recovering the value of coexistence and trust) and stressed that promoting “Cooperation of the South and North” as an urgent subject rather than a unified country would be desirable, taking into account the matter of easing the fear of North Korea regarding South Korea absorbing it and possibility of acceptance by the neighboring countries. “The principles and value we should pursue are improvement of communication and exchange between South and North Korea, adherence to democracy, market, and openness as universal value, and expansion of the integrated assets of two Koreas to realize the future image of a unified Korea.” he added.

Rep. Park Hong-geun believes that the future image of national unification is directly connected with the people’s life. “We should identify a new growth power through economic cooperation with North Korea. Active exchange and cooperation projects are required to realize the unification measures of an ethnic community.” he said

According to Hong Sun-gyeong, a North Korean refugee, reformation and opening of North Korea are the first steps toward unification. “The roles of the public and private sectors of South Korea should be further activated in this regard. In particular, the roles of North Korean refugees are important during the course of national unification,” she said. She suggested realizing the unification early through the “successful settlement of North Korean refugees in South Korea,” their participation in programs that induce the change of North Korea, and the relief activities for North Korean refugees wandering around some Southeast Asian countries. She also appealed to our society to participate in the “People’s Unification Movement” and “Life Rescue Movement” (activities of rescuing North Korean female refugees who fell victim to human trafficking).

As panelists during the second session of the forum, those from religious groups expressed their wish and position regarding the future image of national unification and preparation for unification. They suggested the practice of love and communication by religious circles as preparations to proceed based on national reconciliation and harmony.

- Jeong In-ho, director of One Living Movement of Korean People of Won Buddhism, Eom Gi-ho, chief of the Cooperation Committee Between South and North Korean Churches of the Christian Council of Korea, Rev. Park Jong-hwa of Kyungdong Church, No Jeong-seon, deputy chief of the Reconciliation and Unification Committee of the National Council of Churches in Korea, Lee Eun-hyeong, secretary of the Reconciliation Committee of the Korean People of the Catholic Bishops‘ Conference of Korea, Jinhyo, secretary general of the Office to Promote an Ethnic Community of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism -

Since the preparation for national unification is a topic of the state and the people, it should not be left to the government alone; rather, the supplementation of roles of the private sector should be expanded such as exchange and cooperation between South and North. In particular, religious circles should make more efforts to get North Koreans to “change its mind.”

A total of 350 persons from 8 organizations and groups and 12 panelists from unification-related organizations and religious groups attended the forum to discuss and suggest the strategy and practical alternatives regarding the details of the future image of a unified Korea and draw the people’s participation and bond of sympathy for unification.

Meanwhile, the [Open Forum for Peaceful Unification], held in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of independence, will be held two more times in the latter half of the year to collect opinions on the preparation for unification by issue from the relevant organizations and groups.

[Attachment] Reports on the Open Forum for Peaceful Unification