New Year Plans on Foundation Building for Unification
by Presidential Committee for Unification Preparation
December 29, 2014
- The R.O.K. government on July 15th established the 「Presidential Committee for Unification Preparation」, a public-private partnership, in order to prepare for unification with national consensus. 3 plenary sessions chaired by President Park Geun-hye, 80 sub-committee meetings, 4 public seminars, and civic group advisers’ meetings for each sub-committee have been held since its launch.
- The Committee suggested ways to improve inter-Korean cooperation, which include △making blueprints for unification, △suggesting new peace plans and international cooperation, △promoting a new paradigm for development cooperation, △connecting Trans-Korea Railroad(TKR) and Trans-continental Railway, and △setting up DMZ World Peace Park.
- Based on discussions held, the Committee for Unification Preparation in 2015, which marks the 70th anniversary of national independence as well as national division of the Korean peninsula will pursue the following plans for peaceful unification. It will :
Endeavor to recover national homogeneity by expanding civic exchanges △to preserve linguistic and cultural heritage and △to promote various joint sports activities.
More specifically, in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the national independence, we intend to hold △South-North soccer games, △Peace and Culture Art Festival, and △International Peace Conference with a mid-and-long term goal to sign inter-Korean cultural agreements.
Fundamentally solve humanitarian issues of the separated families by ensuring regular family reunions, contact with their lost kin, and letter exchanges(including video letters).
Set up concrete plans to create DMZ World Peace Park and initiate joint investigation on the ecosystem of the DMZ under the cooperation of both South-North Korea and the international organizations.
Expand integrated projects that are helpful to both South and North Korea for a happy unification era - △promote substantial cooperation for development projects that enhance healthcare, nutrition, and basic daily infrastructure, △share access to green forests, ecosystem, environmental preservations, and water resources with the North.
Prepare a comprehensive legislative system with laws necessary in the era of unification in consultation with the government.
Closely cooperate with the government for such projects like the Rajin-Khasan, to promote economic cooperation jointly pursued by the two Koreas and the international community.
∘ There can be various opinions on unification in promoting the tasks above. However, since there are concerns that confusion and conflict could arise from such differences, the Presidential Committee for Unification Preparation will function as the center to canvass public opinion. We would like to ask politicians, private organizations, and individuals to come together to prepare for the unification era.
- Furthermore, inter-Korean dialogue and cooperation are needed in order to materialize the projects above.
∘ South and North Korea must meet face-to-face to discuss the road to peaceful unification.
- To that end, the Presidential Committee for Unification Preparation officially proposes to the North to hold inter-Korean dialogue by next January to discuss issues of mutual interest.
∘ Particularly, we hope to arrange reunions for the separated families to relieve their sorrow before the Lunar New Year.
∘ Unification Minister and the government vice-chairman of the Presidential Committee for Unification Preparation Ryoo Kihl-jae and the civic vice-chairman Chung Chong-wook, will sit down for talks with North Korean representatives in Seoul, Pyeongyang, or in other venues mutually agreed by South and North Korea.
∘ We hope the North comes forward with a positive response to our proposal.
