"Unification, Hope to See It as Entertainment, Not Documentary"…'Ministry of Unification Workshop' for MZ Generation (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The Ministry of Unification held a unification workshop to engage with the 2030 generation.

On the occasion of its 52nd anniversary, the Ministry of Unification announced on the 2nd that it held an innovation capacity-building workshop with all employees participating both online and offline under the theme "The Ministry of Unification's Vision and Strategy in the New Normal Era."

The event was attended by former Ministers of Unification Jeong Se-hyun, Lee Jong-seok, Hong Yong-pyo, and current Minister Lee In-young, who discussed the direction the Ministry of Unification should take in the changed policy environment with public officials from the 2030 generation.

Taking this workshop as an opportunity, the Ministry of Unification plans to promote various innovative activities for the future vision desired by the 2030 generation amid changes such as the post-COVID era, the era of technological convergence, and the emergence of the MZ generation born from the early 1980s to the early 2000s.

In his commemorative speech, Minister Lee emphasized the importance of engagement with the younger generation centered on the 2030s, saying, "In the face of the historic task of denuclearization and peace settlement on the Korean Peninsula, the deadlock in North Korea-US relations, the stagnation in inter-Korean relations, and unintegrated unification discourse across generations and classes have failed to raise new expectations among the public."

He added, "Some say that the new generation is 'not interested in unification' or 'negative about unification issues.' However, I see hope in today's youth, who are accustomed to social solidarity toward peace and humanitarianism based on mature civic consciousness of autonomy and creativity."

Minister Lee stated, "The 2030 generation will be the protagonists who lead and create the era of peace and ultimately open the door to unification, becoming the last generation of division. Helping them complete the roadmap for unification is also the role of myself and the older generations."

At the workshop, former and current ministers emphasized efforts to gain empathy from the 2030 generation. Former Minister Hong said, "I hope unification is seen not as a documentary but as entertainment," adding, "In the case of the drama 'Crash Landing on You,' some people criticize it as pro-North Korea, but I hope people watch it for fun rather than as a documentary."

He continued, "I want people to feel that North Koreans are similar to us. However, the ideas on how to approach this entertainingly should come from the 2030 generation."

Former Minister Lee said, "If you are a Ministry of Unification employee, you must have the 'Ministry of Unification spirit,' which is expertise on North Korea that distinguishes us from other ministries," and added, "The 2030 generation should also work with the 'Ministry of Unification spirit' and a sense of urgency."

Minister Lee said, "I hope the 2030 generation becomes the ones who directly design and coordinate unification," and added, "The 2030 generation will be the heartbeat for the nation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.