“Thank you for making the effort, even during this grave time of continued provocation from North Korea, to establish peace on the Korean peninsula and create the basis for the realization of peaceful unification. The government is making secure preparations to restrain North Korea’s provocations aggressively while strongly working together with the international community to urge North Korea to give up its nuclear power and take the road of true change. We hope the members of the National Unification Advisory Council (NUAC) -- with the passion that they displayed in the one-person protest condemning North Korea early this year – will be the center concentrating public opinion in the future as well. May this conference of domestic provincial assemblies be an opportunity to inspire a sense of national security and consolidate the public’s opinion of unification.” (Excerpt of the Chairperson’s video message)

The “17th NUAC Conference of Domestic Provincial Assemblies,” which will be held for 20 days in succession all over the country, began the prologue of its long run in Busan. The conference was held from June 14 (Tues) to July 7 (Thurs), targeting 16,582 domestic council members from 17 provincial and municipal chapters and 5 North Korean provincial assemblies. Under the slogan “Peaceful unification is achieved through united public opinion and united people!” the conference sought policy alternatives for uniting public opinion and preparing for sustainable unification in this unification context riddled with change, such as North Korean provocations and sanctions on North Korea.

The Busan Provincial Assembly Conference was held on June 14 (Tues.) at the auditorium on the first floor of the Busan Metropolitan City Hall. Participating in the conference were: Lee Young-suk, vice-chairperson of the Busan Provincial Assembly; Suh Byung-soo, mayor of Busan; Lee Hae-dong, president of the Busan City Council; and heads of district chapters and around six hundred members of the council.

Hosted by Hong Soon-heon, secretary of the Assembly, the Busan Provincial Assembly Conference began with the Pledge of Allegiance followed by Jung-gu council member Yoon Jeong-un’s recitation, opening address by Assembly Vice-Chairperson Lee Young-suk, and screening of the video message by President Park Geun-hye, NUAC Chairperson.

In her video message, President Park Geun-hye lauded council members for their efforts to establish peace and basis for peaceful unification during these grave times of continued provocation from North Korea; she also expressed hope that this conference of domestic provincial assemblies would be an opportunity to inspire a sense of national security and consolidate the public’s opinion of unification.

“Based on the sanctions imposed on North Korea as a result of its provocations, threats, and fourth nuclear test, the international community and the nation’s citizens must rally together and strive to carry out the sanctions and apply pressure fully and completely,” Vice-chairperson Lee Yong-suk said in her opening address. She called on local communities and unification sites to take the first step in uniting citizens in order to solve the problem of North Korea’s nuclear threat and begin a new chapter for peaceful unification.

“Busan is the origin and destination of the Eurasia transcontinental railway. It’s the central harbor of the Pacific Rim — it is a city that yearns for unification more than any other,” said Busan Metropolitan City mayor Seo Byung-soo in his congratulatory speech. He went on to request the council members’ effort to help prepare Busan for the coming age of unification.

“Unification is not something we can choose to do or not to do, but a demand of the times to be achieved for sure,” said Lee Hae-dong, president of the Busan City Council. He asked council members to “lead the way, with greater passion in the future, in coming together to create awareness in local communities as well as a basis for unification.”

Afterward, Lee Chang-yeol, senior representative for the Office of Inter-Korean Dialogue, presented the “Outlook of North and South Relations and Progress Direction of the Unification Policy,” a report on the current status of the North Korean policy. South Region Section Chief Ko Young-hoon then presented the “17th NUAC Major Works Progress Report.”

In an interview video titled “The Unification I Dream Of” prepared beforehand, featured council members talked about their sense of duty regarding unification, their reflections on participating in North Korean refugee resettlement programs and unification work, and their dreams and hopes about unification.

During the policy proposals session, Busan Provincial Assembly Secretary Hong Soon-heon gave a progress report on the operation of policy proposal TF; standing council member Jo Gyeong-geun (professor at Kyungsung University) and standing council member Kang Dong-wan (professor at Dong-A University) each presented policy proposals.

Regarding the topic “Reconciliation of South-South conflicts and plans for preparing a public-participatory unification,” Standing council member Jo Gyenog-geun proposed △ that unification-related government agencies focus their strength on helping citizens understand the government’s North Korea policies, △ that there be organic interaction and cooperation between the Council of Unification Preparation and NUAC, and △ that 3-party governance in the national assembly contribute to resolving the South-South conflict.

With regard to the topic “Plans for unification education for the spread of a healthy awareness of unification,” Standing council member Kang Dong-wan proposed △discussions of unification in everyday life, △ amalgamated unification work where unification is engrafted onto cultural IT, and △preparation of target-specialized strategies for a grassroots unification cultural movement.

A recitation of the “United Public Resolution for the Solution of North Korean Nuclear Threats” by Forum Chief Kim Jong-han followed. Through this resolution, council members determinedly resolved to △ participate actively in solving the problem of North Korea’s nuclear threats by making solid security arrangements and cooperating with the international community, △ do their best to construct a basis for peaceful unification, with the belief that “the fundamental solution to North Korea’s nuclear threats is unification,” △ respond together and firmly to North Korea’s provocations and △ lead the way in concentrating unification competence.

Finally, Lee Young-suk, vice-chairperson of the Busan Provincial Assembly, with the consent of all the participating council members, considered and decided the policy proposal resolution. Before the closing ceremony, the Busan Provincial Assembly council members all stood up and sang “Our Wish,” putting into song their strong hopes and desires for unification.