Talk Show Panel: Unification Led by Korean People

Dec. 15 (Asia Today) -- Speakers on an Asia Today YouTube program called for a civilian-centered approach to Korea's unification movement, arguing that the driving force for unification lies with the Korean people -particularly North Koreans - and that South Korean society must present a clear vision for a unified nation.

Kang Cheol-hwan, head of the North Korea Strategy Center, and Seo In-taek, standing representative of Action for Korean Unification, made the remarks during a special discussion broadcast on Asia Today's YouTube channel on Dec.11.

Seo criticized what he described as a government-centered unification policy rooted in the belief that unification can be achieved through political negotiations between North and South Korea. "In reality, no unification has ever been achieved through political negotiations," he said, adding that in the case of German unification, negotiations came after citizens on both sides had already brought down the Berlin Wall and the direction of unification had effectively been decided.

Kang also expressed skepticism toward government-led approaches. "After living in Korea for 30 years, the conclusion I've reached is that we shouldn't trust and wait for the government," he said.

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Seo said the political sphere's North Korea policy cannot change North Korea, arguing that the subject of unification is not the Kim Jong-un regime but the North Korean people. He added that the North Korean system can be changed by North Korean residents and elites, and that South Korean society must share a vision of what kind of unified nation it seeks to build in order to move them.

"That is why vision is extremely important," Seo said, adding that what South Korean society presents to North Korea remains unclear.

Seo argued that the "Korean Dream" should serve as a guiding vision for unification, linking it to the concept of Hongik Ingan- often translated as "benefiting all humankind" - associated with Korea's founding myth. He said the idea has become part of Koreans' cultural identity and should be combined with the strengths of modern Western civilization to create what he described as a new, advanced nation.

Kang also emphasized the need for a vision that resonates with both North Korea's elite and its general population, saying it should be rooted in the spirit of the Korean people, democracy, economic prosperity and an equal-footing approach that leverages the strengths of both sides.

"If we spread the Korean Dream to North Korean residents, whether elite or commoner, they cannot help but empathize," Kang said. He added that the time has come for a civilian-led unification movement and urged broader participation to open a path toward unification.

-Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

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