Following the policy agenda "direction of unification preparation policies according to the changing environment for unification" in the first quarter, the National Unification Advisory Council decided to propose the topic “Promotion plan for a unified consensus nationwide and abroad regarding the North Korea sanction” in the second quarter.

The National Unification Advisory Council held on March 30th the 4th meeting of the Planning and Adjustment Standing Committee (chief: Kim Yong-ho) with the participation of Executive Vice-chairperson Yoo Ho-yeol, Secretary General Bae Jung-ho, and chiefs, secretaries, and members of the subcommittees of the 10 Standing Committees and decided on the policy agenda for the second quarter.

At the meeting that day, it was forecast that the North Korean sanction would be sustained or strengthened until the second quarter; a consensus was reached regarding the necessity to create a more favorable environment for unification by establishing a unified national view to overcome the security crisis caused by the North Korean nuclear crisis.

In addition, in June, a consensus was reached, i.e., concentrating on sanction rather than talks is needed since the effect of sanctions against North Korea has become clearer, and the counteractions on North Korean sanction are scheduled to be reported to the security council by the UN member countries according to UN Security Council no. 2270 article 40, Sanction Resolutions on North Korea.

"Overcoming the current serious crisis stemming from the North Korean Nuclear test in January and long-range missile launch in February depends on what, how, and how much we prepare. It is necessary for the National Unification Advisory council to assure the public and to provide the unified strength of the public and the policy logic for the government in preparing the policy toward North Korea," said Yoo Ho-yeol, Executive Vice-chairperson, in his greetings.

Secretary General Bae Jung-ho, who took office on January 21st, commented that, under the goal of “overcoming North Korean provocations through national unity,” with 20,000 council members, they have laid out preemptive activities at home and abroad. "Now, the main role of the National Unification Advisory Council is to avoid fragmentation of national opinion and focus on North Korean sanctions to achieve fundamental changes in North Korea," he added.

Starting with today's meeting of Planning and Adjustment Standing Committee division, the 9 Standing Committees of the National Unification Advisory Council will each hold a subsequent subcommittee meeting on department-specific agenda to select the proposal topic and speaker within the framework of the grand topic by April 4th-8th. A Standing Committee meeting will be held to devise a policy proposition for each department by May 3rd-13th. The policy proposal report -- which is the combination of the discussion results of the Standing Committee, is scheduled to be reported to the chairperson by mid-June.