The Korean Political Science Associate and the Korea Institute for National Unification invited  professionals and intellectuals from organizations and regional powers to discuss “Korean Unification from an International Perspective.” The forum took place on July 20th with sponsorship from South Korea’s Ministry of Unification.

Kim Chun-sig Vice Minister at the Ministry of Unification set the tone for the event in his keynote address. Kim shared his opinion that the “costs” of maintaining a divided peninsula are a “disadvantage to future generations” and “detrimental to national competitiveness.” He elaborated on this point by saying that a divided Korean peninsula cannot achieve economy of scale, prevents economic cooperation and severs trade routes in Northeast Asia. Kim ended his remarks by sharing his belief that a unified Korean peninsula could play a leading role in a “new beginning” for Northeast Asia.