The NUAC, a presidential advisory board (Executive Vice-chairperson Yoo Ho-yeol, Secretary General Bae Jung-ho), held a joint session on February 25-26 at the Hotel Riviera Yuseong with 220 executive council members in attendance, including the heads of municipal/provincial and city/county/district chapters.

The session, which was attended by Executive Vice-chairperson Yoo Ho-yeol and Secretary General Bae Jung-ho, gathered the opinions of executive council members regarding the strained relations between the two Koreas due to the North’s recent nuclear test and missile launch, and discussed ways of solving the conflict, uniting the people, spreading sympathy for unification, and gathering public opinion.

Executive Vice-chairperson Yoo Ho-yeol delivered the keynote speech under the title of The NUAC’s role in initiating denuclearization and the era of unification of the Korean Peninsula, during which he asserted that “Shutting down the Gaeseong Industrial Complex was inevitable to curtail North Korea’s nuclear weapons program,” and emphasized, “It is time for the NUAC to take action to show our will to solve the North Korean nuclear issue by resolving the conflict and gathering public opinion.”

In addition, Secretary General Bae Jung-ho hosted a “talk concert” with Professor Kim Tae-woo of Konyang University, Professor Nam Sung-wook of Korea University, and Kim Jin-ha of the Korea Institute for National Unification. The panel shared in-depth opinions, allowing the participants to understand the current state of affairs between the South and the North, including △ the nuclear issue and missile launch of North Korea and our national security, △ the inevitability of shutting down the Gaeseong Industrial Complex and the measures, and △ the facts about the Kim Jong-Un regime.

In addition, Captain Um Hong-gil, actor Choi Soo-jong, singer Ailee, singer Bae Il-ho, and soprano singer Kang Min-sung were appointed as honorary ambassadors of the NUAC. For the next two years, the ambassadors will contribute to focusing public attention on the NUAC’s activities and spreading sympathy for unification.

Notably, the participants adopted ‘the resolution against North Korea’s provocation’ put forward by Head of Yeosu Municipal Chapter Park Jeong-il, which strongly denounces North Korea’s nuclear provocation, stating that it could lead to a catastrophe on the Korean Peninsula. The resolution also pledges to unify the nation, resolve the conflict and ultimately disarm North Korea, as well as gathering public opinion and actively promoting grassroots-based unification activities.

During the task allocation session, the participants discussed detailed action plans for each region in order to resolve the conflict, unify the citizens, and gather public opinion.

In addition, a number of regional best practices were introduced. The conference shared detailed plans and achievements of the region, including △ the 17th Dalbit Partnership Sisterhood adopted by Buk-gu Municipal Chapter in Daegu, △ the Childcare Service for North Korean Refugees implemented by Gangdong-gu Municipal Chapter in Seoul, △ the Uni-maker Season 1’ by Gyeyang-gu Municipal Chapter in Incheon, △ the ‘80 million Signature Campaign for Unification’ implemented by Gwangsan-gu Municipal Chapter in Gwangju, △ the ‘Concert and Writing Contest for Unification’ staged by Chuncheon Municipal Chapter in Gwangwon, and △ the ‘Youth Unification Team’ organized by Changwon Municipal Chapter in Gyeongsangnam-do.