Global forum by advisory body, Yonhap News Agency discusses int'l cooperation for Korean unification

SEOUL, Nov. 12 (Yonhap) -- A global forum, co-hosted by a presidential advisory body and Yonhap News Agency, explored ways on Tuesday to muster international solidarity for South Korea's vision of achieving unification based on liberal democracy, with participation from government officials and experts.

The Global Dialogue on Korean Peninsula Unification, co-hosted by the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council (PUAC) and Yonhap, delved into unification issues in the context of shifting global environments on the final day of its two-day event at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul.

Key topics of this year's event included assessing the global environment for Korean unification in the context of former U.S. President Donald Trump's election to his second term as well as the deployment of North Korean troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine.

Also under discussion were ways to garner international solidarity for Korean unification amid global challenges, such as the Russia-Ukraine war and the prolonged Israel-Hamas conflict.

The council advises the president on unification issues for policymaking purposes.

Kim Kwan-yong, the PUAC's executive vice-chairperson, said "Unification remains inside a long, dark tunnel in the era of a global geopolitical upheaval."

"Cooperation with the international community is more urgently needed than ever under the current condition in which North Korea remains locked up from inside," Kim said.

In a welcome speech, Yonhap News Agency President and CEO Hwang Dae-il stressed the importance of drawing up a new road map for unification amid shifting public conception, pledging "unremitting efforts as a core news agency for the country's freedom, peace and prosperity."

National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik was scheduled to deliver a keynote speech, followed by three discussion sessions, during which scholars, such as Bruce Bennett from global policy think tank RAND, will discuss issues including the challenges of achieving unification amid shifting international security as well as the unification vision declared by President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Presentations and discussions on the East Asia security environment following the U.S. presidential election and shifts in Korean Peninsula policies took place behind closed doors on the first day of the forum.

All sessions on the second day will be livestreamed on the council's website.

pbr@yna.co.kr
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