Seoul: The Peaceful Unification Advisory Council (PUAC), a presidential advisory body focused on unification, has recently added over 2,000 new advisers and is planning an expansion of its operations overseas, according to a council official on Wednesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Bang Seung-yong, the council's secretary general, announced that 2,176 new advisers have been appointed both domestically and internationally. This move aims to "strengthen activities by region and expand consensus on peace," as stated during the opening ceremony of the 22nd Eurasia Regional Assembly in Incheon, west of Seoul. The total number of advisers has now reached a record 25,000, with all positions being honorary and unpaid.
Bang also revealed the council's plans to restructure its overseas operations, including increasing the number of regional assemblies from five to eight. An amendment to the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council Act, which is currently under review at the National Assembly, seeks to increase the number of vice-chairs to support this expansion.
The council serves as a constitutional presidential advisory body with the mission of promoting peaceful unification through policy consultation, public consensus building, and international outreach. The body is chaired by President Lee Jae Myung, with Kang Chang-il, a four-term lawmaker and former ambassador to Japan from 2021 to 2022, serving as vice chair.