Vice Chairman Woo Seung-ha of Jeonnam Democratic Peace Advisory Council 6 Months Since Inauguration... Positive Internal and External Evaluations

The Jeonnam Regional Council of the National Unification Advisory Council has been noticeably changing since the inauguration of Vice Chairman Woo Seung-ha, with this sentiment emerging in various places.

The National Unification Advisory Council is a constitutional institution under the President, and Vice Chairman Woo Seung-ha has been leading the 21st Jeonnam Regional Council since September 1, 2023.

According to the Jeonnam Regional Council of the National Unification Advisory Council on the 6th, for the first time in history, the 'North Korean Defector Support Subcommittee Chair' and the 'Media Reporting Committee Chair' were newly established.

The North Korean Defector Support Subcommittee was established as a strong expression of the commitment that North Korean defectors are citizens of the Republic of Korea according to our constitution, and that there will be no lack of interest and support to help them settle well in our society.

The Media Reporting Committee was created because, although the National Unification Advisory Council has played a leading role as opinion leaders guiding local communities, it is regrettable that the general public remains largely unaware of many aspects. The purpose is to strengthen publicity and communication so that more citizens can take an interest in the roles and support of the National Unification Advisory Council. This was the beginning of a strong change aimed at fulfilling a more practical and proactive role for the Council, rather than the previously formal and passive organization.

Vice Chairman Woo is also making efforts externally. Since his inauguration, starting with the launch ceremony of the 21st term, he has consecutively held major events such as the Peace Empathy Roundtable and the 'Talk! Talk! One Step Toward Unification with North Korean Defectors' event, actively communicating and strengthening practical engagement with North Korean defectors.

In particular, the 2023 'Talk! Talk! One Step Toward Unification with North Korean Defectors' event, held over three days from December 8, 2023, was attended by about 40 North Korean defectors and regional council executives, making it an unprecedented event.

Through security tours, the event raised awareness of national security and the necessity of unification, while simultaneously providing many people who have quietly lived with the label of North Korean defectors the opportunity to appear proudly in official settings, earning high praise from all attendees.

The majority of North Korean defectors attending this event operate a group called the 'Good Volunteer Corps,' which was formed through voluntary membership fee collections without support from the government or local authorities.

They provide outreach services such as cultural performances, North Korean food culture services, delivery of daily necessities, house cleaning, and grocery shopping.

By stabilizing the lives and settlement of vulnerable North Korean defectors, elderly households, and low-income groups, and through community-integrated sharing volunteer activities, they are leading sharing volunteer efforts for Korea’s marginalized groups, laying the foundation for social integration.

Vice Chairman Woo Seung-ha stated, “As specified in Article 92 of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, the National Unification Advisory Council will carry out its unique duties while communicating with all advisory members to provide practical advice to the President regarding the establishment of our country’s peace and unification policies.”

He added, “Each North Korean defector will be able to live with pride as a citizen of the Republic of Korea without inconvenience,” and “We will strive to operate the Jeonnam Regional Council of the National Unification Advisory Council as a differentiated and systematic regional council compared to other regional councils.”

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