The NK Refugee Affairs & Welfare Standing Committee(chief: Lee Jin) of the National Unification Advisory Council (NUAC) held its 5th committee meeting last May 15 to discuss "International Cooperation to Reduce Poverty Among North Koreans and Enhance Their Quality of Life."

Lee Jin said in his opening speech that change of North Korea is too much to hope for, but improving the quality of life of North Koreans is very critical in view of recovering the homogeneity of Korean people. He then requested the council members to suggest valuable ideas on the issue.

Following the opening speech, Park Chan-bong, Secretary General of NUAC,noted that the Inter-Korean policy for unification has been implemented in consideration of the relationship between South and North, and international political situation. “We expect the activities of NUAC to be developed in a consistent context, and the NUAC Secretariat will make its best efforts for it," he vowed.

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  Lee Jin, Chief of the Committee

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  Park Chan-bong, Secretary General

Before starting to deliberate on the agenda of the committee, Prof. Jin Hui-kwan of Inje Univ. emphasized that “improving the quality of life of North Koreans is a very critical issue to prepare for the sound and healthy unification of the Korean peninsula.”The building of an “Agricultural Complex” as proposed by President Park Geun-hye in her Dresden Declaration heralds an important turning point of agricultural cooperation between South and North Korea, he said.

The Committee reviewed the necessity of preparing for climate change from the mid- to long-term perspective according to global warming, supplying winter vegetables by supporting greenhouses in the North, and studying the past agricultural cooperation with North Korea.

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  Prof. Jin Hui-kwan

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  Committee members

With the number of tuberculosis patients in North Korea reportedly increasing recently, economic cooperation between South and North Korea to support the development of light industries related to health, medicine, food, clothing, and dwelling is an urgent issue to be solved.

As per the international cooperation, experience and responsibility should be considered to promote the business with North Korea, which can bring about positive effects in spreading empathy for the peaceful unification of the Korean peninsula.

The committee members agreed that the second and third Gaesung Industrial complexes should be created by developing the West Sea Belt, internalizing the existing Gaesung Industrial Complex, and strengthening its function.