SEOUL - In response to the recent satellite launch by North Korea, the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council (PUAC) in partnership with Yonhap News Agency convened a forum on Friday at the Grand Walkerhill Seoul hotel. This event, titled "International cooperation aiming to realize freedom, peace, and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula," was attended by key government figures and security experts.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the forum aimed to assess the current environment for Korean unification and address the escalating threats posed by North Korea's technological advancements, including its latest spy satellite launch. The satellite, which North Korea asserts was successfully placed into orbit, represents the third such attempt by the regime, with promises of more launches in the near future.
The 2023 Global Dialogue on Korean Peninsula Unification, as this inaugural event is named, was organized as part of an initiative to foster international cooperation in the face of not only North Korea's missile and nuclear ambitions but also amidst the ongoing war in Ukraine and the intensifying Israel-Hamas conflict.
The meeting focused on developing new strategies for reunification and responding to North Korea's provocations. Kim Kwan-yong, executive vice chairperson of PUAC, emphasized the need for unification dialogue to be rooted in the principles of free democracy and respect for universal values such as freedom and human rights.
Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho pledged to enhance "unification diplomacy" in alignment with the Camp David Principles and the Downing Street Accord, aiming for a unified Korean Peninsula characterized by freedom and peace.
Seong Ghi-hong, CEO and president of Yonhap News Agency, highlighted the importance of maintaining a solid security posture in these uncertain times.
The forum also featured international experts like Patrick Cronin from the Hudson Institute and Lee Che-chuan from the Institute for National Defense and Security Research in Taiwan. They discussed the challenges to Korean unification, particularly in the context of the Sino-U.S. rivalry and increasing cooperation between China, Russia, and North Korea.
Georgy Toloraya, director of the Center for Asian Strategy at the Russian Academy of Sciences, projected a prolonged period of hostile co-existence between the Koreas, advocating for peaceful coexistence strategies.
The forum's discussions, covering topics such as democracy in North Korea and the Indo-Pacific Strategy, were broadcasted live on PUAC's official YouTube channel. The event, which also included closed-door sessions on Thursday, is seen as a significant step in addressing the complex dynamics of the Korean Peninsula amidst regional and global security challenges.