Asia-Pacific Assembly Hosts 2024 Peaceful Reunification Conference 

The Asia-Pacific Assembly (Vice-chairperson Koh Sang-koo) held the 2024 Asia-Pacific Assembly Peaceful Reunification Conference at the Grand Plaza Hotel in Hanoi from April 25 to 27 under the slogan "Peaceful Reunification of the Korean Peninsula, Asia-Pacific Assembly in Action."

The large-scale conference drew about 400 participants from 7 chapters, 13 branches, and PUAC council members and families from 26 countries, and invited guests. 

<Opening Remarks by Asia-Pacific Assembly Vice-chairperson Koh Sang-koo>

Day 1 included the opening ceremony. In his opening remarks, Koh Sang-koo, Vice-chairperson of the Asia-Pacific Assembly, said, "The Korean Peninsula must achieve peaceful reunification, and in that aim, overseas PUAC council members should play a role in building support and friendly relations for peaceful reunification in their respective countries." 

Executive Vice-chairperson Kim Kwan-yong said, "I express my respect and love to the PUAC council members who are leading changes from the bottom up for the reunification of the homeland with great sincerity and passion despite their busy daily lives." “I ask you to give unlimited love to North Korean defectors in accordance with the request of President Yoon Suk Yeol, Chairperson of the PUAC, that the PUAC serve as a mentor to North Korean defectors."

<Video congratulatory remarks by Executive Vice-chairperson Kim -yong>

<Congratulatory remarks by Consul General Park Jong-kyung in Hanoi> 

<Congratulatory remarks by Lee Sook-jin, member of the Executive Committee>

Hanoi Consul General Park Jong-kyung said in his congratulatory remarks, "It is meaningful to hold a large-scale conference in Vietnam at a time when it is important to build consensus on peaceful reunification." 

Lee Sook-jin, council member of the Executive Committee, also congratulated the conference, saying, "I am pleased that the Asia-Pacific Assembly has come together in such a cohesive manner and gathered here." 

The second day of the meeting included ice-breaking (Challenge! Unification Golden Bell), a special lecture on unification, and group discussions. 

In the special lecture on reunification, Lee Hyuk, head of the Korean Peninsula Future Forum (former South Korean ambassador to Vietnam), spoke on the topic of "The Role of Neighboring Countries for the Peaceful Reunification of the Korean Peninsula." Lee emphasized "reasonable diplomatic relations with major countries." "Apart from political issues, it is important to continue exchanges at the private level, like the public diplomacy activities of the overseas PUAC council members,” he said. 

In his lecture on "Suggestions for Peaceful Reunification of the Korean Peninsula from the Experience of Vietnam's Reunification," Pham Tien Van, former Vietnamese Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, stated that Vietnam is ready to play a mediating role in resolving the Korean Peninsula's issues, as it had done with the 2019 DPRK-USA Hanoi Summit VIET NAM. Reminding the participants that reunification is a difficult process that requires a strong will to reunify and patience from the government and people, he reiterated his call for "peaceful reunification." At the end of the lecture, the participants gave a standing ovation to Ambassador Phan Tien Van, who spoke in fluent Korean. 

<Lecture on Unification by Lee Hyuk, head of Korea-Japan for the Future>

<Special Lecture on Reunification by former Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Thien Van>

<Group Discussion and Presentation of Discussion Results>

In the subsequent group discussions, the participants discussed how to revitalize unification public diplomacy activities in the Asia-Pacific region, how to gather unification energy of future generations, and how to build a global unification network overseas. After the discussion session, the participants shared the results of their discussions and exchanged opinions and suggestions. 

The '2024 Asia-Pacific Conference on Peaceful Unification' is considered to be the first conference organized and hosted by a regional assembly consisting of members and chapters from multiple countries. All assembly members participated in the event from the preparation process, and it ended with a great response from the participants who took it as an important opportunity to gather the will and capacity for peace and unification of the 'Asia-Pacific region in action'. 

<Tree of Hope Decorated with Wish for Unification>                 <Challenge! Unification Golden Bell>

<With the Junior PUAC>                                                               <Celebratory Performance> 

<Unification Ember Performance by the Chapter Heads>                                         <Unification Grand Chorus>