Tae Young-ho: "National Consensus on Unification Will Also Be Communicated to North Korean Residents"

Inauguration of the Secretary-General of the Democratic Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, First Defector to Reach Vice-Minister Level
Criticism of Kim Jong-un's 'Hostile Two-State Theory' as Anti-National Act

Taeyongho, the new Secretary General of the National Unification Advisory Council (Minju Pyeonghwa Tongil Jaemunhoe, Minju Pyeongtong), stated that he will do his best to ensure that North Korean residents are also aware of the national consensus on unification.

Tae Young-ho, the newly appointed Secretary General of the National Unification Advisory Council, delivers his inaugural speech at the inauguration ceremony held on the 22nd at the National Unification Advisory Council Secretariat in Jung-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by National Unification Advisory Council]

At the inauguration ceremony held on the 22nd at the Minju Pyeongtong Secretariat in Jung-gu, Seoul, Secretary General Tae criticized the Kim Jong-un regime for promoting the "hostile two-state theory" to erase the concept of unification, calling it an "anti-national act." He added, "As a constitutional institution, Minju Pyeongtong will strive to enhance its status and presence, propose good policies to the president, and gradually build national consensus from the grassroots level."

Secretary General Tae emphasized that the unification of the Korean Peninsula will contribute to global freedom, peace, and prosperity, stating, "We must gain international support for our government's Minju Pyeonghwa Tongil policy through a global network of Korean talents." He also commented on his appointment, saying, "It shows that North Korean residents are proud citizens of the Republic of Korea," and described it as "a firm determination that the Republic of Korea will surely achieve peaceful unification."

The Minju Pyeongtong is a presidential advisory body on the establishment of peaceful unification policies, and the Secretary General oversees the council's affairs under the president, who serves as the chairperson.

Secretary General Tae was appointed on the 19th to the position that had been vacant for six months after the previous Secretary General, Seok Donghyun, resigned to run in the general election. He was a North Korean defector diplomat who served as the charg? d'affaires at the North Korean embassy in the United Kingdom before defecting in 2016. With his appointment as Secretary General of Minju Pyeongtong, he became the first defector to reach the vice-ministerial level.