President Park Geun-hye hosted on October 13 "Unification Talks with Overseas Council Members,” inviting around 500 council members from 2 provincial assemblies and 14 municipal chapters in ASEAN, Europe, and Africa who participated in the 3rd meeting of the 17th Overseas Provincial Assembly Conference.

The unification talks kicked off with the pledge of allegiance, followed by address of gratitude by Executive Vice-chairperson Yoo Ho-yeol, words of encouragement from President Park, proposal of a toast by ASEAN Assembly Vice-chairperson Song Chang-geun and European Assembly Vice-chairperson Park Jong-beom, refreshments, policy proposal by council members, video report by overseas municipal chapters, cultural performances, and picture taking.

"North Korea has carried out the 4th and 5th nuclear experiments this year and launched more than 20 missiles, and it is threatening to use nuclear weapons against the citizens of South Korea. As President, I will never compromise when it comes to my role to protect our nation and our citizens," President Park Geun-hye said.

President Park noted that there has been an increase in North Korean defectors who are tired of starvation and oppression, and that the phenomenon of deviating from the system due to despair in the dark reality of North Korea has continued among the elite class and the military, the pillars supporting the North Korean regime. "Facing an era of 30 thousand defectors, we will continue to strengthen the necessary policies to help North Korean refugees adapt to our society and fulfill their dreams. We will also keep delivering information about the outside world to North Korean citizens to let them know of the liberty and human rights available to them," she added.

She also asked the participants to join forces to improve human rights in North Korea, just as West Germany consistently demanded improved human rights in East Germany and delivered information to East Germans to heighten their awareness of liberty and human rights.

In his address of gratitude on behalf of the council members, Executive Vice-chairperson Yoo Ho-yeol expressed immense respect to the overseas council members representing 92 countries from 4 continents working to overcome the difficult situation of today. "We will do our best to help in the President's denuclearization efforts and spread the will for unification throughout the world at the forefront of the grassroots unification movement," he vowed.

ASEAN Assembly Vice-chairperson Song Chang-geun and European Assembly Vice-chairperson Park Jong-beom thanked President Park for her deep understanding and encouragement of overseas activities by NUAC through a proposal of toast. "The way to unification may be rough, but starting with small steps will be the foundation for unification," they said. Participating council members responded with a round of applause.

During the policy proposal, Jeong Hwan-hee, council member of the German Assembly (left on the photo above), and Joo Yang-jung, council member of the Australian Assembly (right on the photo above), presented their policy proposals.

Council member Jeong Hwan-hee urged the participants to do their best to overcome the North Korean nuclear threat by refusing to succumb to the increasingly conspicuous nuclear threats and bringing together national opinion and strengthening the security posture or the ROK-US alliance. Council member Joo Yang-jung suggested the "selection of the issue of human rights in North Korea, along with the denuclearization of North Korea, as the core task of the policy on North Korea."

The overseas council members saw the “Unification Talks” as a time to reconfirm the government's will to resolve the issue of the North Korean nuclear program as well as a chance to fulfill the heavy responsibility of laying the foundation for peaceful unification as council members.

[Full Text of President Park Geun-hye's Address]

Greetings, everyone! I sincerely welcome all NUAC overseas council members who have visited our homeland from 92 countries around the world.

I am happy to meet all of the NUAC council members from abroad, with the 3rd meeting of the 17th unification talks continuing successfully this year following the 1st and 2nd meetings. I am aware that around 250 members who were at the 16th unification talks in 2014 have participated again this time, and I am delighted to see you all return home in such great health.

As you may remember, the unification talks 2 years ago were held not long after I made the Dresden Declaration in Dresden, Germany; unfortunately, North Korea has since then doused the expectation of the international community and continued its provocations, threatening the peace of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia.

North Korea carried out the 5th nuclear experiment after the 4th nuclear experiment early this year and launched more than 20 missiles this year, obsessing over the development of nuclear weapons and missiles. Such attitude of North Korea shows us that it will never give up nuclear development in the future, and that it will continue additional nuclear experiments and missile launches.

Moreover, North Korea is threatening to use nuclear weapons on us, and this is definitive proof that the North Korean nuclear threat is an imminent, specific threat, and that the North Korean nuclear weapons are targeting South Korea and our citizens, not other countries.

The government had no choice but to deploy THAAD on the Korean peninsula in order to protect our citizens from the North Korean nuclear threat.

In the future, I will do my best and never compromise when it comes to the task of protecting our country and citizens regardless of any difficulty we may face. By pursuing stronger sanctions and pressure against North Korea along with the international community in order to transform North Korea, we will make sure North Korea realizes that, without giving up its nuclear program, it will not be able to overcome economic hardships or even sustain its regime.

I am aware and always thankful that the NUAC overseas council members are immensely contributing to the government's efforts. I have heard that the Australian Chapter is carrying out various petitions to improve the shocking human rights situation in North Korea by enacting the North Korean Human Rights Act in the Australian National Assembly. I am also aware that the ASEAN council members are working to improve next-generation Hangul education and pioneering the instillation of ethnic unity and will for unification by hosting unification music festivals and youth unification golden bells. In addition, I have heard that the North European Chapter has contributed to forming public opinion on sanctions against North Korea by demanding that EU leaders enact stronger sanctions against North Korea after it carried out the 5th nuclear experiment, including hosting rallies throughout Europe or writing to the press.

Your efforts in public diplomacy for unification are becoming very helpful in strengthening international alliances against North Korea and heightening awareness throughout the world about the realities in North Korea. I sincerely thank everyone who has extended active and united support in order to overcome this national crisis.

Dear council members -- the North Korean regime is forcing North Korean citizens into hell through its cruel reign of terror. This clearly shows that the North Korean regime has reached a point where it cannot survive without resorting to abnormal means. There has been an increase in North Korean defectors who are tired of starvation and oppression, and the phenomenon of deviating from the system due to despair over the dark reality of North Korea has continued among the elite class and the military — the pillars supporting the North Korean regime. The officers, soldiers, and citizens of North Korea cannot be exceptions in the way to making a just and peaceful Korean Peninsula. I will open the doors to suffering North Koreans so that they can come to South Korea to fulfill their dreams and pursue happiness freely.

In particular, the defecting North Koreans mean that unification has come early, being important human resources playing a crucial role in promoting the unification process and in unifying the citizens of North and South Korea. Facing an era of 30 thousand defectors, we will continue to strengthen the necessary policies to help North Korean refugees adapt to our society and fulfill their dreams. We will also keep delivering information about the outside world to North Korean citizens to let them know of the liberty and human rights available to them.

In our society, there are people who neglect the importance of improving human rights in North Korea, worrying about the North Korean government's backlash or about the reception of defecting North Koreans due to social or economic reasons. Note, however, that scholars who have done a lot of research on the unification process of Germany have stated that an important foundation for the unification of Germany was West Germany consistently demanding improved human rights in East Germany and delivering information to East Germans to heighten their awareness of liberty and human rights. We must be aware that neglecting the North Korean citizens who worry about the regime will only work to solidify the violent and aggressive North Korean system, and we must work together toward improving the human rights in North Korea.

With the efforts by overseas council members to arouse public opinion in their respective countries proving to be immensely helpful, I ask you to work actively in the coming future. Dear council members -- we are currently facing a watershed moment in our history. We must surmount our difficult situation today and open a unified era when citizens of both South and North Korea enjoy liberty and human rights on a peaceful Korean Peninsula.

The biggest driving force for our goal is the strong will and unity of our citizens. We can easily overcome today's stern crisis and open an era of a peacefully united Korean Peninsula if our citizens and the Korean people throughout the world become one. I urge the 20 thousand NUAC council members to stand at the forefront of bringing together public opinion and unifying the citizens as always. I will combine my efforts with yours and do everything in my capacity to resolve the issues of North Korean nuclear arms and human rights. Once again, I welcome the council members who are visiting our homeland. I hope your stay becomes a meaningful time for you all, and I wish you well.