'Council members in foreign countries renew their resolve to play their role as a civil diplomat for the preparation for the peaceful unification of Korea.'
■ Inaugural Session of the Australia Chapter (July 31)
The Australian Chapter (head of the Chapter: Lee Suk-jin) held its inaugural session on July 31, 2015 at the located in downtown Sydney with the participation of over 80 council members, former head of the Chapter, Chairperson of the Korean Community, former senior council members and many leaders of the Korean community. After the session, they watched the Korean movie, "Battle of Yeonpyeong" together.
▶Lee Suk-jin, head of the Australian Chapter, said, “For the past 2 years, the Australian Chapter has been playing more active role in the mainstream society. Based on this, we have successfully drew the attention of Australian politicians and mainstream society in human rights in North Korea.” She asked for the active support and participation of former and new council members in achieving the big goal of addressing the issues of human rights in North Korea at the Australian Parliament House.
▶Lee Hui-jin, South Korean Consul General to Sydney, thanked the achievements of the former members of the Australian Chapter, and urged the council members to play an active role in Australia to stress the necessity and duty to achieve peaceful unification in celebrating the 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation and division.
Of note, as a result of the Australian Chapter's two years of effort to improve human rights in North Korea, it succeeded in proposing the initiative to censure North Korea at the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and House of Representatives.
■ Inaugural Session of the New Zealand Chapter (August 3)
The New Zealand Chapter (head of the Chapter: Do Eon-tae) held its inaugural session at 5:00pm, August 3, 2015 at the Crowne Plaza Aukland Hotel with the participation of some 120 people including Kim Hae-yong, South Korean Ambassador to New Zealand, Park Il-ho, South Korean Consul General to Aukland, Kim Seong-yeop, Chairperson of the New Zealand Korean Community, leaders of Korean communities and council members.
▶Group Photo
▶In his welcoming speech, Doh Eon-tae, head of the New Zealand Chapter, said, "The New Zealand Chapter will set a role model in sharing and helping others for the Korean communities based on active participation, respect and harmony. In order to achieve the peaceful unification of Korea where 80 million people can live happily together, we need to gather the opinions of the Korean community on the unification of Korea and play the role of a council member to the fullest in forming a consensus on the unification of Korea in the mainstream society."
▶Kim Hae-yong, South Korean Ambassador to New Zealand, said that South and North Koreans grew a sense of difference during the 70 years of being divided. He wished that the 17th inaugural session will be a momentum to build trust between South and North Korea through the trust process for the Korean Peninsula and urged the council members to play their role in proposing policies on the unification of Korea while building a basis for the unification with the support of neighboring countries.
▶At 3:00pm, prior to the inaugural session, new council members from different countries had time to get to know each other in a meeting and to remind each other that they belong to the same organization.
The inaugural session involved an opening ceremony, oath by new council members, letters of appointment to new council members and medal of merit to the former head of the Chapter. South Korean President Park Geun-hye also sent a video message to throw light on the vision for the unification of Korea and show her love for the new council members.
The program was followed by a briefing on the direction for the activities of the 17th NUAC and role of the council members, lecture on the conditions in Northeast Asia and North Korea as well as the trust process in the Korean Peninsula by an expert in unification, appointment of new council members and report on new projects.
▶Shin Eun-suk, Director of the Council Member Activities Bureau, explained about the 'Report on the Direction for the Activities of the 17th NUAC and the Role of Council Members'.
In her report on the direction for the activities of the 17th session, Director Shin Eun-suk said, "There are more than 3,000 council members in 117 countries, and they should play the role of a civil diplomat who encourage cooperation between Korean communities and build the basis for the unification of Korea by encouraging their support for the unification of Korea. She also urged them to take initiative to form a consensus on the unification policy among Koreans abroad, attract the support of the international society in the unification of the Korean Peninsula, renew the resolve of Koreans living abroad on the unification of Korea and gather their support in the process.
▶Cho Yun-yeong, Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Chung-Ang University, gave a special lecture on 'The Political Situation of Northeast Asia and North Korea and Trust Process of the Korean Peninsula'.
Profession Cho Yun-yeong gave a special lecture on the international situation in Northeast Asia, recent conditions in North Korea, current relationship between South and North Korea, trust process in the Korean Peninsula, unification of the Korean Peninsula and role of Koreans living abroad in the unification. He urged the participants who're living abroad to attract the interest of the country of their residence, play the role of a mediator and locomotive in cooperation between South and North Korea and contribute to creating an international environment for the issue.
At the end of the inaugural session, the council members of the NUAC municipal chapters in Australia and New Zealand said that they promise to do their best in the unification of their home country by playing the role of a civil diplomat living in the area.
