o At the 270th Meeting of the Inter-Korean Exchanges and Cooperation Promotion Council (headed by the Minister of Unification) held on January 29, the Korean government deliberated and determined the plan to offer the inter-Korean cooperation fund to support the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) with its census of North Korea, and the like.
- Agenda for approval: Plans to offer the inter-Korean cooperation fund to (1) support the execution of the UNFPA's census of North Korea; (2) cover the operational expenses of the Center for Unified Future of Korea; (3) support the inter-Korean joint compilation of Gyeoremal Keunsajeon (Big Dictionary of the Korean People's Language); (4) cover the operational expenses of the Gaeseong Industrial District Support Foundation; and (5) cover the operational expenses of the South-North Korea Exchanges and Cooperation Support Association ※ Please see the attachment for details for each agenda
o The Council reviewed the work plans of each department and agency regarding the this year's tasks for inter-Korean exchange and cooperation based on the 2015 Annual Policy Report (“Preparing for unification together for a happy unified Korean Peninsula”) and discussed a cooperative system among involved departments and agencies to promote business efficiency.
o The government will implement the following tasks this year for inter-Korean exchange and cooperation:
- First, in order to build the infrastructure for an economic community and promote reciprocal inter-Korean economic cooperation, the government will (1) formulate a master plan to develop the land of the Korean Peninsula; (2) carry out a test run of the Trans-Korean Railway (TKR) and the Trans-Siberian Railway (TSR); (3) devise plans for inter-Korean and multilateral cooperation; (4) launch the Rajin-Khasan logistics project in a full-fledged manner; (5) expand the project to develop the workforce in North Korea; and (6) facilitate the advanced level of normalization of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex through its internationalization.
- Second, in order to open up a “channel for the livelihood of the people” to improve the standards of living for the North Korean people, the government will (1) expand the Maternal and Child Package Project that supports North Korea's infants and mothers; and (2) build the Multi-farming Complexes to enhance the livelihood of the North Korean people.
- Third, in order to create a “channel for the environment” to realize the Green Detente, the government will (1) support cooperation in forestry and the environment through international organizations and civic groups; (2) protect the Baekdudaegan Mountain Range through inter-Korean and international cooperation; (3) jointly manage the rivers shared by South and North Korea, including the Imjin River and the Bukhan River; and (4) start to create the DMZ World Eco-Peace Park.
- Fourth, in order to expand a “channel for culture” to strengthen national homogeneity between the South and North Korean people, the government will (1) simultaneously open a South-North Korea Cultural Center (tentatively named) in Seoul and Pyongyang; (2) compile a Handbook of the Living Culture of the Korean People (tentatively named); and (3) expand other cooperative projects to preserve national cultural heritage.
- Lastly, in order to promote joint inter-Korean events to commemorate the 70th anniversary of national liberation, the government will establish the Joint Inter-Korean Committee for Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of National Liberation (tentatively named) to implement joint events in each of several areas, such as culture, art, religion, and sports.
*【Government members】First Vice Minister of Strategy and Finance; First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs; Vice Minister of Unification; Vice Minister of Justice; Second Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Vice Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; Vice Minister of Health and Welfare (represented by the International Cooperation Officer); Senior Presidential Secretary for Foreign Affairs and National Security; Vice Minister of the Government Policy Coordination Office; and First Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service
*【Civilian members】Kim Young-soo (Professor of Political Science at Sogang University); Cho Jeong-ah (Director at the Information Center for Unification Studies of the Korea Institute for National Unification); and Ham In-hee (Dean of the College of Social Sciences at Ewha Woman’s University)
