The Peaceful Unification Advisory Council

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The 20th PUAC Plenary Session

  • Consultation & Advice Division
  • 12-17-2021

The 20th PUAC Plenary Session


"President Moon Jae-in asked the PUAC for the role of a pioneer in the end-of-war declaration that will serve as the road to a lasting peace.”


The PUAC held it 20th plenary session on the morning of December 17 with 20,000 domestic and overseas members attending online or offline. Marking the 40th anniversary of the PUAC, the plenary session served as an opportunity to reaffirm the commitment of the 20th PUAC to 'the realization of sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula.'



In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the plenary session connected 20,000 members in 230 Korean communities and 131 overseas countries online and offline, marking the council’s largest video conference yet. The main conference hall in Seoul accommodated about 120 vaccinated people including Executive Vice-Chair Lee Seok Hyun, members of the Executive Committee of the PUAC, and chapter heads in the metropolitan area, with the rest participating by video.



In his opening remarks, President Moon Jae-in (Chairman) said, “The road to denuclearization and a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula has not yet been taken, and it is an uncertain and difficult road, but we can and must succeed,” asking, “The PUAC become a 'pioneer in the end-of-war declaration’ that broadens the national consensus on the significance and necessity of the declaration and contains a larger number of people’s voices supporting the cause.”



In his greeting speech, Executive Vice-Chair Lee Seok Hyun said, "Based on the support of the cause from the majority of the population, let’s strive to reach a full consensus on the end-of-war declaration,” urging domestic and overseas council members to strive for the resumption of talks between the two Koreas and between the United States and North Korea and for an early declaration of an end to the Korean War. He emphasized that “There is no navigation app to reach to peace on the Korean Peninsula” except for the fact that that it will be achieved only when all Koreans join in.



Prime Minister Kim Bu Gyeom, who specially attended the meeting, delivered a congratulatory address, saying, “The government will continue to promote cooperation in the areas of humanitarian aid and environment where the two Koreas can pursue win-win growth, such as health, medical care, and forestry, and will build a solid foundation for peace and unification on the Korean Peninsula,” asking, “The PUAC gather more wisdom to realize peace and unification on the Korean Peninsula and create a proud future of the Korean Peninsula that can be passed on to our descendants.”



The new Secretary-General, Kim Chang Soo, who took office on December 10th, introduced the goal of the 20th PUAC, 'the realization of sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula' along with the key tasks to be promoted according to the four directions such as △ strengthening suggestions and advice containing people’s voices, △ playing a central role in regional peace and national unification, △ leading public diplomacy for peace and unification together with the Korean community overseas, and △ enhancing the role of women and youth in peace and unification.



At the plenary meeting, policy proposals were made by members working at the forefront in Korea and overseas. Choi Young Hyo, a council member of the Gyeonggi-do Yeoncheongun Chapter, spoke about 'creating peace in everyday life and the role of the PUAC. He stressed, "It is most important to create a consensus of peace naturally in everyday life," asking council members to take the lead.



Through the policy proposal entitled 'peace public diplomacy for the end-of-war declaration,’ Park Seong Gye, a council member of the Seattle Chapter, said, "Peace public diplomacy is a public diplomacy intended to spread a consensus for peace on the Korean Peninsula in the international community" suggesting that council members use SNS to express their gratitude to leaders from around the world who support the end-of-war declaration and peace initiatives on the Korean Peninsula as part of active peace public diplomacy activities.



At a policy proposal entitled 'peace consensus built by young people,' Lee Su Rin, a council member of the Seoul Seochogu Chapter said, “The future of youth is the future of the Korean Peninsula,” emphasizing, "The 20th PUAC young members will communicate with a larger number of young people and broaden the consensus for peace."



Based on the consensus of the 20,000 PUAC council members at home and abroad, the plenary session adopted the 'Resolution for the End of the Korean War and Peace on the Korean Peninsula' in hopes of the realization of the end-of-war declaration as a starting point for creating a new order for reconciliation and cooperation on the Korean Peninsula. Urging North Korea to actively engage in dialogue for health and environmental cooperation and peace on the Korean Peninsula and calling on the international community to actively participate in our efforts to achieve complete peace on the Korean Peninsula, the 20th PUAC members pledged to do their best in terms of peaceful public diplomacy to increase public sympathy and support for the end-of-war declaration and obtain cooperation from the international community.



The session concluded with a children's choir presenting 'Our Wish is Unification' together with Lim Hyung Joo, a world-class popera tenor and PUAC young council member while all PUAC members at home and abroad waving pickets to pray for the end of the Korean War and peace on the Korean Peninsula with one mind.


This plenary session, held amid a fresh wave of COVID-19, was conducted in strict compliance with government quarantine guidelines, such as distancing, body temperature check, and on-site attendance only by the vaccinated.


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