[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province will hold a roundtable discussion to explore the role of local governments in restoring peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Gyeonggi Province announced that on the 12th at 2 p.m., it will hold a "Roundtable Discussion for Peace on the Korean Peninsula and the Restoration of Inter-Korean Relations" in the first conference room of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Office in Suwon.
The roundtable was organized to examine the situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula amid the strained inter-Korean relations caused by the distribution of leaflets to North Korea and the demolition of the Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office, and to seek practical measures for restoring inter-Korean relations.
The roundtable will be attended by Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung, Jeong Se-hyun, Senior Vice Chairman of the National Unification Advisory Council, former Minister of Unification Lee Jong-seok, and National Assembly member Yoon Gun-young. The session will be moderated by announcer Lee Ji-ae.
The main agenda items include ▲ Evaluation of Gyeonggi Province's measures to prevent the distribution of leaflets to North Korea and the necessity of the Leaflet Distribution Prohibition Act ▲ The role and achievements of Gyeonggi Province in inter-Korean exchange and cooperation ▲ The impact of the surrounding situation on the Korean Peninsula ▲ Practical measures at the local government level.
Governor Lee will introduce the achievements of inter-Korean exchange and cooperation projects that Gyeonggi Province has promoted on a humanitarian basis, such as COVID-19 quarantine efforts, despite the strained inter-Korean relations.
Earlier, Gyeonggi Province, in cooperation with the Nonprofit Organization Institute for Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation, obtained UN sanctions exemption approval and Ministry of Unification export approval last month to deliver six types of joint COVID-19 quarantine supplies, including diagnostic kits, protective suits, safety goggles, and thermal imaging detectors, to the North. This is the first case of export approval for quarantine supplies to North Korea by a local government since Minister of Unification Lee In-young took office last month.
Additionally, the province independently applied for UN sanctions exemption for 298 items related to agricultural cooperation projects, including aluminum frames for glass greenhouses, Internet of Things (IoT) cultivation management systems, and solar power generation facilities, and received approval on the 4th.
This UN sanctions exemption approval is the first case conducted solely by a local government without cooperation from private organizations. The province expects this to be an opportunity to further expand the scope of inter-Korean exchange and cooperation projects alongside existing humanitarian aid projects.
Moreover, to prevent the re-spread of African Swine Fever (ASF), the province delivered disinfectants for joint ASF quarantine to the North in June.
The roundtable will be broadcast live online through OhmyTV (YouTube, Facebook) and social broadcasting Live Gyeonggi.
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