President Lee Jae Myung on Dec. 2 delivers the chairperson's speech at the inauguration ceremony of the 22nd Peaceful Unification Advisory Council at KINTEX (Korea International Exhibition Center) in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do Province. (Office of the President)
By Yoo Yeon Gyeong
"Unification is a path that the divided Republic of Korea must take, even if it takes decades, centuries or millennia," he said in a speech at the inaugural meeting of the 22nd Peaceful Unification Advisory Council at KINTEX (Korea International Exhibition Center) in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do Province.
"The task of our time is to end the hostility and confrontation between the two Koreas and build a new inter-Korean relationship of peaceful coexistence," he added. "Reviving inter-Korean dialogue after a seven-year suspension will be the starting point for a new inter-Korean relationship of peaceful coexistence."
"We will ease military tensions around the Military Demarcation Line and take preemptive measures to eliminate the potential for accidental clashes."
President Lee emphasized the need to cooperate for "joint growth of both Koreas," saying, "We will begin with gradual exchange and cooperation projects of global interest and in high demand for the two sides including climate and the environment, disaster safety and public health."
"We will continue our efforts to end the state of war on the Korean Peninsula, pursue a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula and form a solid peace," he added, reiterating his pledge to support the North's dialogue with the U.S. as a "pacemaker."
dusrud21@korea.kr