People Power Party Think Tank Proposes Formation of Bipartisan Special Committee for Unification Preparation

Kim Jo-in, Emergency Response Committee Chair of the People Power Party, and Joo Ho-young, Floor Leader, are attending the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 11th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] The People Power Party's think tank, the Yeouido Institute, has proposed the formation of a special parliamentary committee to discuss the training of unification specialists. Although inter-Korean relations are stagnant, the conservative opposition party's argument that unification preparations should be made precisely at such times is drawing attention.

Lee Yoon-sik, head of the Political, Diplomatic, and Security Office at the Yeouido Institute, stated in a recent report titled "Training Unification Specialists in the Era of the 4th Industrial Revolution" that "Unification, a long-cherished national goal, transcends party lines. Therefore, a related special committee with equal representation from both ruling and opposition parties should be formed to establish legal and institutional frameworks and prepare countermeasures."

With the rapid changes spreading across all fields due to the 4th Industrial Revolution, and its influence expanding into specific areas such as job competency changes and vocational training, South Korea must consider and prepare for unification in conjunction with these developments.

Lee said, "Of course, considering the current security situation on the Korean Peninsula, inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation are suspended, but it is precisely at such times that concrete preparations for unification become more urgent." He added, "Above all, unification is a national task that can only be realized when the passion of the people is combined. Therefore, it is essential to establish a comprehensive roadmap for training unification specialists who will smoothly manage the institutional unification and national integration processes."

He pointed out that the government currently does not even conduct basic demand forecasting surveys for unification specialists and urged the Ministry of Unification to "collaborate with other ministries to conduct related policy research and academic conferences to build social consensus on the necessity and direction of training unification specialists."

He explained that "unification preparedness" means "recognizing unification as an imminent reality in the near future and systematically preparing for it at inter-Korean, domestic, and international levels." He also stated that specialists are needed in three stages: 'preparation for unification,' 'immediately after unification,' and 'post-unification integration,' across various fields.

Specifically, he emphasized the need to train dedicated administrative personnel for unification as well as specialists in the arts, medical, and cultural heritage sectors. Lee stressed, "Despite the anticipated demand for unification specialists, social awareness and policy preparations remain insufficient. Measures such as legal and institutional improvements, expansion and reorganization of the Unification Education Institute's functions, and budget allocation for operating unification specialist training programs are necessary."

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