National Si/Gun/Gu Inter-Korean Exchange Cooperation Forum "Local Governments and the North Must Move Toward a Future of Peace and Shared Prosperity"

The National Si/Gun/Gu Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Forum (Co-Chairman Jung Won-oh, Seongdong District Mayor) issued a statement on the 22nd marking the 3rd anniversary of the April 27 Panmunjom Declaration, deeply reflecting on all processes for restoring inter-Korean relations and emphasizing that local governments and the North must join forces to move toward a future of peace and shared prosperity.

Scene from the forum founding general meeting held on March 16 at Sowol Art Hall, Seongdong-gu, Seoul

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] The National Forum for Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation among 38 local governments nationwide (co-chairs Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, hereinafter the Forum) issued a statement on the 22nd marking the 3rd anniversary of the April 27 Panmunjom Declaration, deeply reflecting on all the processes for restoring inter-Korean relations so far, and emphasized that local governments and the North must join forces to move toward a future of peace and shared prosperity.

In the statement, the Forum said, “Although it is very painful that the results have not met the expectations that once made our hearts race after three years, the times of repeated hope and disappointment were not wasted, so we regain hope again.”

It added, “We express unwavering expectations for the North’s efforts not to reverse the time of peace after the Hanoi summit breakdown, and pay tribute to the current government’s efforts to restart based on the spirit of the Singapore Agreement promised by the North Korean and U.S. leaders for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and complete peace, despite the complex domestic and international environment.”

The Forum also did not omit its expectations for direct exchange and cooperation projects between local governments and the North, which are being promoted as follow-up measures after the revision of the Act on Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation.

The Forum explained, “Local governments perform independent administration for their citizens, and if all the assets of the South and North compatriots are combined, new opportunities will expand for our companies and people, as well as for compatriots in the North. Each local government can carry out cooperation projects reflecting its own characteristics, and by joining forces, larger-scale cooperation projects will also be possible.”

The local governments belonging to the Forum are currently preparing cooperation projects in areas such as inter-Korean health and medical cooperation for stabilizing COVID-19 on the Korean Peninsula, forestry cooperation in response to strengthened international environmental standards including carbon emission rights, and agriculture, fisheries, and livestock cooperation projects for food sovereignty.

Along with this, they requested active support from the central government and the National Assembly to further strengthen the autonomy of local governments in inter-Korean exchange and cooperation projects.

Jung Won-oh, co-chair of the National Forum for Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation among Si/Gun/Gu, said, “Flexibility and autonomy are emphasized to move toward a peaceful Korean Peninsula. We will open the closed door of the North wide and strive through local government cooperation projects so that the efforts so far can bear fruit.”

The National Forum for Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation among Si/Gun/Gu was founded by heads of basic local governments nationwide to contribute to peace on the Korean Peninsula and become the main actors of peaceful exchanges between South and North Korean cities.

Although exchanges at the Si/Gun/Gu level have existed before, the revision of the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act made local governments legal entities that can directly engage with North Korea from March 2021.

Everyone is going through difficult times due to COVID-19, and inter-Korean relations are also challenging, but it is expected that a declaration to end the war will soon be made, bringing lasting peace and stability between the South and North.

In preparation for that time, the heads of basic local governments participating in the Forum intend to promote inter-Korean city-to-city exchange and cooperation projects tailored to regional characteristics through regular meetings for joint research and discussion, without relying solely on the central government.

This Forum, composed of heads of basic local governments nationwide, will quickly transition its organization into a 'Local Administrative Council' under the Local Autonomy Act to develop into a more stable and continuous permanent consultative body.

The heads of Si/Gun/Gu basic local governments participating in the Forum will work hand in hand with local citizens to create a path of coexistence that benefits both South and North.

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- 3rd Anniversary of the April 27 Panmunjom Declaration -

Statement from the National Forum for Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation among Si/Gun/Gu

“Let’s create a new path to peace and prosperity through cooperation between local governments of the South and North!”

Time never flows in vain.

Since the division, our nation has not only experienced times of confrontation and conflict. From the 1972 ‘July 4 South-North Joint Statement’ to the 2018 ‘September 19 Pyongyang Declaration,’ continuous dialogue has taken place, with the ‘April 27 Panmunjom Declaration’ at its center.

In the April 27 Panmunjom Declaration, the South and North leaders agreed to normalize all previous inter-Korean agreements and move toward peace and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Now, three years later, as a member of the nation, we feel deeply saddened that the results have not matched the expectations that once made our hearts race.

However, we note that denuclearization and permanent peace-building on the Korean Peninsula became formal agenda items between the South and North leaders in the April 27 Panmunjom Declaration, and that meetings among the South, North, and U.S. leaders have continued. Despite the breakdown of the Hanoi summit, the North’s efforts not to reverse the time of peace, and President Moon Jae-in and the government’s will to find a new path for inter-Korean relations based on the spirit of the Singapore Agreement remain unchanged.

Although inter-Korean relations are currently in a stalemate due to complex domestic and international situations and the COVID-19 pandemic, we are confident that this time is not wasted, just as exchanges and cooperation have steadily progressed through repeated cycles of hope and disappointment over many years.

Reflecting on all these processes, we reaffirm that the future of peace and shared prosperity is a fruit borne of persistent efforts. We have decided to prepare inter-Korean cooperation projects centered on local governments with our small but solid and meaningful strength.

Local governments perform independent administration for their citizens.

We are representatives of local governments elected by citizens. Local governments carry out independent administration not only for tasks delegated by central and metropolitan governments but also for the happy lives of citizens.

After 30 years of local autonomy, the administrative capacity of local governments has developed remarkably, and independent budget management has become possible. Local governments can carry out projects continuously and stably based on ‘ordinances.’ Moreover, if the individual strengths of local governments are combined, they can produce synergy and demonstrate capabilities beyond their numbers.

Our goal is inter-Korean cooperation projects that are ‘unshaken under any circumstances.’

Recently, the revision of the Act on Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation has laid the foundation, albeit insufficient, for local governments to independently carry out inter-Korean cooperation projects. Our clear goal is for local governments to promote inter-Korean cooperation projects without being swayed by political, military situations, or international circumstances, based on their own judgment and efforts.

We will strive to create an environment where local governments can engage in fully independent exchanges, and we are confident we can achieve this. We also expect positive responses from the North for exchanges between local governments.

We will do what local governments can do.

We are preparing ‘health and medical cooperation projects’ between the South and North. The current COVID-19 situation is not limited to the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. Inter-Korean health and medical cooperation is essential not only to jointly respond to the global COVID-19 crisis but also to open the tightly closed doors of inter-Korean exchanges.

In the midst of the climate crisis, the value of the environment is increasingly recognized, and the creation of dense forests is an important task for both South and North. We will prepare concrete and meticulous ‘forestry cooperation projects’ tailored to the scale and characteristics of individual local governments.

We will promote ‘agriculture, livestock, and fisheries cooperation projects’ that leverage the strengths of South and North cities. Food issues have been the most profound and fundamental topic throughout human history. If effective and eco-friendly production increases are achieved through cooperation in agriculture, livestock, and fisheries, it will become the strongest foundation for the future prosperity of the Korean Peninsula.

Additionally, we will creatively discover and promote cooperation projects suitable for the capabilities of each local government, such as joint production of essential daily goods. We will concretize all these cooperation project plans and propose them to the North at an appropriate time. We believe that through detailed discussions with the North, the most efficient project implementation plans can be prepared and executed under mutual cooperation.

Please support us generously.

The enforcement of the Act on Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation, which explicitly designates local governments as the main actors of inter-Korean exchange and cooperation, is very meaningful. To fully realize the legislative intent, an environment must be created where local governments can proactively propose, execute, and take responsibility. We request active support and assistance from the National Assembly and the government.

Local government-centered inter-Korean cooperation projects will be a new path for inter-Korean exchanges with citizens and ultimately a catalyst to bring forward the day of peace on the Korean Peninsula. Please join us.

April 22, 2021

National Forum for Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation among Si/Gun/Gu

Standing Representative Yeom Tae-young, Mayor of Suwon, Gyeonggi-do; Co-representative Hwang Myung-sun, Mayor of Nonsan, Chungcheongnam-do; Co-representative Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, Seoul; Secretary-General Kim Byung-nae, Mayor of Nam-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City; (Seoul Special City) Seong Jang-hyun, Mayor of Yongsan-gu; Ryu Kyung-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu; Lee Dong-jin, Mayor of Dobong-gu; Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu; Kim Mi-kyung, Mayor of Eunpyeong-gu; Yoo Dong-gyun, Mayor of Mapo-gu; Park Sung-soo, Mayor of Songpa-gu; (Busan Metropolitan City) Seo Eun-sook, Mayor of Busanjin-gu; (Incheon Metropolitan City) Jang Jeong-min, County Governor of Ongjin; (Daejeon Metropolitan City) Park Jeong-hyun, Mayor of Daedeok-gu; (Ulsan Metropolitan City) Jeong Cheon-seok, Mayor of Dong-gu; (Gyeonggi-do) Lee Jae-jun, Mayor of Goyang; Baek Gun-gi, Mayor of Yongin; Seo Cheol-mo, Mayor of Hwaseong; Yoon Hwa-seop, Mayor of Ansan; Choi Dae-ho, Mayor of Anyang; Choi Jong-hwan, Mayor of Paju; Jeong Ha-young, Mayor of Gimpo; Park Seung-won, Mayor of Gwangmyeong; (Gangwon-do) Lee Jae-su, Mayor of Chuncheon; Ham Myung-jun, County Governor of Goseong; (Chungcheongnam-do) Kim Hong-jang, Mayor of Dangjin; Park Jeong-hyun, County Governor of Buyeo; (Jeollanam-do) Kwon Oh-bong, Mayor of Yeosu; Heo Seok, Mayor of Suncheon; Myeong Hyun-gwan, County Governor of Haenam; Shin Woo-cheol, County Governor of Wando; (Jeollabuk-do) Kim Seung-su, Mayor of Jeonju; Kang Im-jun, Mayor of Gunsan; Park Jun-bae, Mayor of Gimje; (Gyeongsangnam-do) Heo Seong-moo, Mayor of Changwon; Heo Seong-gon, Mayor of Gimhae; Byeon Gwang-yong, Mayor of Geoje; Baek Doo-hyun, County Governor of Goseong

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