’Time to engage world on Korean unification’

By Kim Young-jin

Unification ㅡ the word itself could hardly be more evocative for Koreans, who for decades have mulled the immense effects the event would have for its people. But calls are growing for the issue to be discussed among the international community as well given its projected far-reaching impact.

Leading that charge is Kim Hyun-uk, executive vice president of Seoul’s National Unification Advisory Council (NUAC), who says it behooves the world to promote unification as it could help solve foster stability and invigorate the already-booming economies of Northeast Asia.

“This is a vital issue for the 21st century, not just for the Koreas, but for the world,” Kim, 72, said during a recent interview at his office on Mt. Nam in Seoul. “For one, it is in everyone’s interest because a unified peninsula would naturally be denuclearized. So we’re trying to raise the level of passion on this issue.”

Starting today, Kim will take his message to the United States, where he will preside over events in California, Washington State and Utah that seek to raise the issue among Korean-Americans and broader society there. It follows on the heels of similar trips to the U.S. east coast and Europe.

Such efforts are integral to the NUAC, a body mandated by the Constitution to gather public opinion and foster dialogue on peaceful unification and advise the President on related policies. Headed by the President, it encompasses 20,000 members here and abroad.

“We don’t know when unification will happen. So we need Koreans abroad and people passionate about human rights to help make an atmosphere conducive to it by working with their governments,” the former conservative lawmaker said.

Concern has been rising over possible negative effects of a unified peninsula, including an estimated fiscal shock of up to 249 trillion won. The outlook recently prompted the government to float the idea of establishing a special fund to begin collecting the necessary resources.

Others are worried that younger generations here are losing interest in the matter as they, unlike many older Koreans, do not have close relatives in the North.

Kim, appointed by Cheong Wa Dae to direct the NUAC in June, said the way to alleviate such concerns was to focus on potential benefits, namely the potential game-changer of increasing connectivity among China, Russia, Korea and Japan.

“The blood is not flowing well in East Asia. But if we unify, then it’s going to connect everyone to the Pacific Ocean,” he said, citing the peninsula’s prime strategic location. “Korean unification is in the national interest of everyone in the region.”

For the Koreas, abundant natural resources in the North combined with the industrial strength of the South would provide the basis for a dynamic combined force. He noted that unification would also make for a Korean Diaspora comprising some 80 million Koreans worldwide, making the nation a force to be reckoned with.

It would also help balance power in the region at a time when countries situate themselves in regards to a rising Beijing, Kim noted.

In the meantime, he said it was vital for the international community to focus on North Korean human rights, hailing the recent grassroots campaign to free a South Korean woman, Shin Sook-ja, who has been detained in the North for decades.

“There’s nothing more important that human rights, and Shin’s case is symbolic of this. Everyone needs to work hard on this issue, including the international community. We need to send a message to the North by sharing our warmth. We can’t stop hoping,” he said.

Unification, however, remains a tricky political issue in the South, as efforts to prepare for the event are met with accusations from Pyongyang that Seoul is attempting to speed the collapse of its regime and “absorb” the North.

Even Kim took some heat here for suggesting that the sides unite under a liberal democracy, but took the allegations in stride given that the Constitution stipulates such a scenario.

“We live in a diverse society, so some controversy is to be expected. But if we look at the big picture, most people agree that unification will make us safer and more prosperous,” he said.

“But it does not happen automatically. We have to take the lead by actively working on problems we have to overcome. For this, we need honest dialogue with citizens.”

An integral part of this is teaching younger Koreans about the history of the divided peninsula and why unification remains vital, said Kim, who will speak to Korean-American youth when he visits the United States.

“It’s true that young people don’t have the same experience as we do when it comes to North Korea,” he said. “This means we have to hold their hands and let them know about the situation. It’s our duty.”