The NUAC (National Unification Advisory Council) held the 17th inaugural session of municipal chapters in Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego and Hawaii, from July 24 (Vancouver) to August 3 (Hawaii).
The first program of the session included introductory video, delivery of letter of appointment, oath of the council members, video message from the Chairperson, report of the direction of the activities of the NUAC, appointment of council members and report of project plans. The second program included a lecture on the unification of Korea by Secretary General Park Chan-bong and a chorus of the 'Song of Unification'.
■ Inaugural Session of the Vancouver Chapter (July 24)
The inaugural session of the Vancouver chapter held on Friday, July 24 at the Hilton Hotel was attended by over 200 people including Seo Byeong-gil, head of the Vancouver Chapter, Consul General Lee Gi-cheon and Koreans living in Vancouver.
Panoramic View
In his opening address, the newly appointed head of the Vancouver Chapter said, "I thank all the council members of the Vancouver Chapter and representatives of the local community. I wish for the active participation and guidance of council members. I feel humbled that I'm appointed to this position, and I'll do my best for the next two years at the office.
Seo Byeong-gil, head of the Vancouver Chapter
Lee Gi-cheon, Korean Consul General to Vancouver, said, "I wish this inaugural session will be an opportunity for the Korean communities in Vancouver to come together, and speed up the process of the unification of Korea." He also added that the role of a council member is very important.
Congratulatory Speech by Lee Gi-cheon, Korean Consul General to Vancouver
■ Inaugural Session of the Seattle Chapter (July 27)
The inaugural session of the Seattle chapter held on Friday, July 27 at the Double Tree Hotel was attended by over 170 people including Susan Lee, head of the Seattle Chapter, Consul General Mun Deok-ho, State Representative Cindy Ryu and Koreans living in Seattle.
Panoramic View
head of the Seattle Chapter Susan Lee have an opening speech, in which she said, "I'm honored and feel the responsibility to have been elected the 17th head of the Seattle Chapter when I have already served as the 17th Head. I and others living in Seattle will do our best to take part in unifying our country, for the happiness of 80 million people in South and North Korea."
Opening Address by Susan Lee, head of the Seattle Chapter
Mun Deok-ho, Korean Consul General to Seattle, gave a congratulatory speech at the event, where he said, "I have high hopes for the newly appointed council members. I hope they try their best to establish a basis for the unification of Korea."
Congratulatory Speech by Mun Deok-ho, Korean Consul General to Seattle
■ Inaugural Session of the San Francisco Chapter (July 28)
The inaugural session of the San Francisco chapter held on Tuesday, July 28 at the Crown Plaza Hotel was attended by over 220 people including Jeong Seung-deok, head of the San Francisco Chapter, Consul General Han Dong-man, Kim Tae-yeon, Representative of LightHouse, and Koreans living in San Francisco.
Panoramic View of the Inaugural Session of the San Francisco Chapter
In his opening address, Jeong Seung-deok, head of the San Francisco chapter, said, "Korea can't be unified if we just sit back and watch. You're the next-generation of council members, so I want you to play a leading role in the unification of Korea."
Korean Consul General to San Francisco Han Dong-man gave a congratulatory speech at the session, saying "We need to be prepared for the unification since it can happen at any time. Both Korea and USA should make the preparation together."
■ Inaugural Session of the Los Angeles Chapter (July 30)
The inaugural session of the Los Angeles chapter held on Thursday, July 30 at the Line Hotel was attended by over 320 people including Lim Tae-rang, head of the Los Angeles Chapter, Consul General Kim Hyeon-myeong, Kim Jun-yeong, former President of Sungkyunkwan University, and Koreans living in Los Angeles.
Panoramic View
In his opening address, Lim Tae-rang, head of the Los Angeles Chapter, said, "Germany is lucky and blessed to be unified. It's the responsibility of our generation to achieve the unification of Korea for the happiness of 80 million."
Kim Hyeon-myeong, Korean Consul General to Los Angeles, gave a congratulatory speech at the event, saying "This inaugural session should serve as a special occasion for Koreans living abroad to take an active part in the unification of Korea. I want the members of the Los Angeles chapter to contribute to the unification of Korea, and make it happen faster."
■ Inaugural Session of the Orange Country Chapter (July 31)
The inaugural session of the Vancouver chapter held on Friday, July 31 at the Holiday Inn Hotel was attended by over 170 people including Gwon Seok-dae, head of the Orange County and San Diego Chapter, Vice Consul General Ryu Sang-min, National Assembly member Yang Chang-myeong and Koreans living in the area.
Panoramic View
In his opening address, Gwon Seok-dae, head of the Hawaii Chapter, said, "Korea is what it is today because of the hard work of our ancestors. Members of the Orange County and San Diego chapters should also work together and serve to achieve the unification of Korea."
Ryu Sang-min, Korean Vice Consul General to Orange County and San Diego, gave a congratulatory speech at the even, saying "I hope you to carry on the achievements made by the 16th members, and carry out the unification activities in a constructive way."
■ Inaugural Session of the Hawaii Chapter (August 3)
The inaugural session of the Vancouver chapter held on Monday, August 3 at the Waikiki Resort Hotel was attended by over 150 people including the head of the Hawaii Chapter, Baek Gi-yeop, Korean Consul General to Hawaii, and and Koreans living in Hawaii.
Panoramic View
In his opening speech, Kim Dong-gyun, head of the Hawaii Chapter, said, "We'll play the role of a 'unification diplomat' in both the Korean community and mainstream society. We'll do our best to prepare for the unification of Korea."
Kim Dong-gyun, head of the Hawaii Chapter
Baek Gi-yeop, Korean Consul General to Honolulu, gave a congratulatory speech saying, "The NUAC is an important organization with the task of forming a consensus to the unification of Korea and informing people of the Korean government's policy on unification. So we'll fulfill our responsibilities to inform the mainstream society and Korean communities of Korea's policy on unification."
At the 17th Inaugural Session of six chapters on the American west coast, Koh Yeong-hun, Director of the Southern Region, submitted reports titled 'The Role and Function of the NUAC', 'The Goals and Objectives of the 17th NUAC Activities' and 'Important Projects of Overseas Chapters in the Second Half of the Year 2015'.
Goh Yeong-hun, head of the Southern Chapter
The first program of the session was followed by the second program, which included a lecture on the unification of Korea by Secretary General Park Chan-bong, who said, "The unification of Korea is a matter of justice. Both South Korea and the international society must work together so that people in North Korea can be provided with the means to survive, and people in North Korea can have a fair chance to live like those in South Korea. We can't just wait for the unification to happen. We need to take initiative to realize it, and the role of the council members on the American West Coast are particularly important."
The lecture was followed by a chorus of 'Our Wish is Reunification' to complete the session.
Chorus of the ‘Song of Unification
