As the first schedule in 2017, NUAC members visited Seoul National Cemetery to pay respect. At 9:30AM of this day, 200 officers, including Executive Vice-chairperson Yoo Ho-yeol, Secretary General Kwon Tae-oh, Central Committee standing members, Chapter heads, and Assembly Secretariat staff offered flowers and incense at the Memorial Tower and commemorated the spirits of national martyrs and fallen patriots.

In representation of NUAC, Executive Vice-chairperson Yoo Ho-yeol signed on the visitor’s book that, “We will solidly establish the foundation for unification by forming a consensus for unification, integrating citizens, and integrating a national consensus.”

After paying the respects at the National Cemetery, the “2017 NUAC New Year’s greeting ceremony” was held at Grand Conference Hall on the second floor of the NUAC Secretariat office. The New Year’s greeting ceremony was conducted in the order of the Pledge of Allegiance, New Year’s greeting by Executive Vice-chairperson, greeting by the Secretary General, steamed rice cake cutting ceremony in hopes of a peaceful unification, toast proposal, snack session and conversations, and a tteokguk (rice cake soup) lunch.

Through the New Year’s greeting, Executive Vice-chairperson Yoo Ho-yeol remarked that, “South Korea has always made its leaps by converting crisis into opportunity” and emphasized that “If we overcome various challenging tasks that are imminent in and out of the country with wisdom, we will be able to achieve national development and unification.”

For New Year’s four-character idiom, Executive Vice-chairperson Yoo chose “Mei Jing Han Ku (梅經寒苦),” referring to the ume flower which overcomes harsh coldness to blossom with a pure scent, in hopes of the flower of unification blossoming on the Korean Peninsula.

Notably, unlike the previous year, this day’s event had a session for eating tteokguk (rice cake soup) at the Secretariat office so that the attendants could have a meaningful time for sharing their New Year’s wish and yearning for a peaceful unification.