Ban Ki-moon: "Unification Must Be Explained as Beneficial to China"

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed the opinion that a consensus should be built based on the point that 'unification' would also benefit China.

In his keynote speech at the '2024 International Korean Peninsula Forum' co-hosted by the Ministry of Unification, Yonsei University Institute of Political Science and Diplomacy, and East-West Affairs Research Institute on the 3rd, Ban stated, "We need to advocate that unification will greatly contribute to world peace and benefit China and Japan, and build a consensus." He repeatedly emphasized that China will play a very important role in forming an international consensus on unification.

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is delivering the keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 2024 International Korean Peninsula Forum held at Lotte Hotel, Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 3rd. [Image source=Yonhap News]

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He said, "Diplomatic authorities and economic and social organizations need to persuade China that the ROK-US alliance is not intended to form a confrontational structure against China, and that unification, which builds peace and stability, also aligns with China's interests."

Ban also diagnosed, "After unification, we should present future standards for the ROK-US alliance that encompass not only diplomacy and military fields but also the values of liberal democracy," and added, "We need to build a forward-looking future with Japan and create many cooperative systems."

On the morning of the 3rd, attendees including Ban Ki-moon, former UN Secretary-General, and Hyun In-taek, former Minister of Unification, are taking a commemorative photo at the opening ceremony of the 2024 International Korean Peninsula Forum held at Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

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Regarding the '8.15 Unification Doctrine' announced by President Yoon Suk-yeol in his recent Liberation Day address, he gave a positive evaluation and emphasized, "Unification must conform to our constitutional values such as liberal democracy, market economy, rule of law, and respect for human rights."

Hyun In-taek, former Minister of Unification, who gave the congratulatory speech, evaluated, "The government's official unification plan so far, the 'National Community Unification Plan,' left the final state of unification ambiguous," and said, "The Unification Doctrine clearly presented the ultimate goal of a unified Korean Peninsula of freedom, peace, and prosperity."

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