Gwangju Nam-gu Council Holds Forum on Inter-Korean Exchange Cooperation and the Role of Local Governments

On the 10th, according to the Nam-gu Council of Gwangju Metropolitan City, a policy discussion was held at 3 p.m. the previous day in the large conference room of Nam-gu Office under the theme of 'Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation and the Role of Local Governments.'

This discussion was a policy forum co-hosted by the Nam-gu Council of Gwangju, the Gwangju City Council, and the Gwangju Madang 2030 Forum, aimed at exploring the role of local governments and future directions for inter-Korean exchange and cooperation projects.

At the forum, six presenters including Kim Young-jin, Head of the Nam-gu Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Team; Lee Shin, Director of the Unification Society Research Institute; Lee Jae-bong, Secretary General of the nonprofit organization Uri Minjok; Min Eun-hong, Head of the Peace Foundation Team at Gwangju Human Rights and Peace; and Son Eun-young, Head of the Foreign Residents and Foreign Policy Team at Gwangju City, delivered presentations. About 50 attendees including Park Soo-gi, a Gwangju City Council member, Oh Young-soon, a Nam-gu Council member, and citizens participated.

Kim Young-jin, Head of the Nam-gu Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Team, stated, "It is important to develop independent projects tailored to the characteristics of each local government for inter-Korean exchange and the establishment of a peace foundation," adding, "Peace values must be continuously maintained through joint projects promoted by collaboration between metropolitan and basic local governments."

Lee Shin, Director of the Unification Society Research Institute, emphasized, "The exemplary role of local governments, which have emerged as the main agents of unification, as seen in Nam-gu's case, should be expanded to the four districts of Gwangju," and added, "Gwangju, as a city of democracy, human rights, and peace, should play a leading role in peaceful unification."

Oh Young-soon, a council member who chaired the session, said, "I hope that Nam-gu's cases of inter-Korean exchange and cooperation and unification project promotion will spread beyond Gwangju to the entire Republic of Korea," and added, "Through this, I hope a nationwide consensus on unification will be formed and a culture of peaceful unification will be established to bring unification closer in the near future."