[Arirang] Major Think Tanks Gather in Seoul to Discuss Korea's Reunification
April 8, 2011

Major think tanks from four regional powers in the Asia-Pacific region gathered in Seoul on Thursday… to share insights on the "Integration of the Korean Peninsula".
Co-Hosted by Hansun Foundation and the Chosun Ilbo,… the conference allowed scholars to discuss reunification strategies and ways to seek co-prosperity in Northeast Asia by achieving stability on the Korean peninsula.
Unification Minister Hyun In-taek gave a congratulatory speech, in which he stressed that Korea is now at an important crossroad.


[Interview : Hyun In-taek, Unification Minister] "North Korea again is facing a very critical turning point. Now, more than ever, we need support and consensus of neighboring countries on the reunification of the Korean peninsula."

Participants held an in-depth discussion on the current situation,… touching a wide range of issues from Pyeongyang's future economic and political transitions to the role of neighboring countries in unifying the two Koreas.
Different approaches to unification were also analyzed… in effort to come up with more pragmatic methods that can induce a fundamental change in the communist state's persistent military-first policy.


[Interview : Choi Kang, Professor, Institute of Foreign Affairs & National Security ] "Over the years, actually for the past ten years, we've been trying to engage in North Korea's economic cooperation, but actually that approach has failed in bringing any substantial and meaningful changes of North Korea. So I think right now, we have to strengthen our security posture then we can think of economic engagement."

A wide set of previous cases was also presented, allowing participants to examine possible long-term planning that could best suit Korea.


[Interview : Victor D. Cha, Senior Advisor, Center For Strategic & International Studies] "We have been doing a project at CSIS where we have looked at a lot of these questions, and brought many of the experts on these sorts of issues to Washington and have had them talk about their experiences in dealing with Iraq, Haiti, the former Soviet Union because we can learn from these universe of cases about how best to deal with Korea."

The discussions will continue through Friday, going deeper into more sensitive issues encompassing the unification tax in South Korea and some countries' preference towards the Status Quo on the Korean peninsula.

Han Da-eun, Arirang News.