Minister of Foreign Affairs Yun Byung-se explained Korea's reunification policy and stressed the importance of reunification on the Korean Peninsula during a meeting held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 22.

During Korea Night, Yun talked about the Korean government's reunification policy in a speech titled, "Journey to One Korea, One Korea Night," after delivering President Park Geun-hye's video message.



"We mark the 70th anniversary of our liberation, as well as the division of Korea," said Yun. "We have been paying an unjustifiably high price for the past 70 years: the humanitarian costs, including the agony of separated families; the abysmal human rights situation in North Korea; and, the ever-growing tension and instability emanating from North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles."

Speaking of reunification as a solution to these problems, Yun said, "A unified Korea would be a herald of peace: no more North Korean nuclear weapons; and, no more long-range missiles aimed at other countries."

"First, we'll have to remove the obstacles to building confidence and to easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula. That means saying 'No' to nukes," Yun said. "As the president just said, denuclearization is not a precondition, but we cannot talk about peaceful unification or a durable peace without resolving this."

As for economic benefits that would result from Korea's reunification, Yun said, "Korean unification would generate new economic opportunities. It would be a turning point for Northeastern China, it would be new markets for Japan and it would give renewed impetus to the development of the Russian Far East."

Some five hundred people from 42 nations attended Korea Night, including Alan Cohn, an assistant secretary for strategy, planning, analysis & risk in the office of policy at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Jacob Frenkel, chairman of JPMorgan Chase International, Tony Fernandes, chief executive officer of AirAsia, and John Peace, chairman of Standard Chartered.



In addition, Yun met U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, Georgian Foreign Minister Tamar Beruchashivili and Ukrainian Pavlo Klimkin. He discussed various ways to improve bilateral cooperation and mutual interest. Yun also asked for their support for the Korean government's reunification policy.

Yun also met U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Prince Zeid bin Ra'ad, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres and the World Economic Forum's Executive Director Phillipp Roelsler.

By Limb Jae-un
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
jun2@korea.kr