300 college students, both domestic and

international, gathered at the “2014 Collegiate Panel Discussion: Youth Voices

on Korean Unification” on August 14th at the International Conference Hall of

the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The event aimed to outline the active role students play in unification

of the Korean peninsula.

The participating students presented a

report titled, “A Declaration to All Citizens: Youth Perspectives on

Unification”. This report called for South Korea to “above all else, hasten

continuous and systematic preparations prepare for unification, regardless of

North Korea’s undetermined future.”

“It’s important for all citizens to

participate and be ready [for unification]; students in particular should be

active participants. We are holding this panel in hopes that North and South

Korean students open their minds and create a strong unified voice,” the

declaration stated.

Students included a message to the “Kim Il

Sung Socialist Youth League” that “unification must not be regarded solely as

the responsibility of the governments in either nation. Let us overcome an era

of hostility and let us, those who want to live in an era of harmony, be the

catalyst for change. The declaration encouraged youth in both North and South to come together, “We must hold each other’s hands

before our differences become impossible to overcome.”

A prominent feature of the event was a

discussion panel on six chief factors in unification: politics, society,

education, economics, youth, and media.

Moon Dong Hui, chairman of Young NK, said

during the panel session, “It is hard for young students to hold the idea of

unification close to their hearts because they didn’t directly experience

separation, nor are there a plethora of opportunities to learn about

unification. It’s crucial for students to realize the need for unification, but

at present our society does not provide the means to do so, instead citing insufficient

interest in the issue.”

Moon went on to stress the significance of

creating a national youth-based network, free from regional constraints and

better equipped to collaborate on issues. He also addressed the pivotal roles

awareness and exposure play in future scenarios on the peninsula, “We must also

enliven North South youth exchange programs that are well prepared for the

social aspects of unification. It is hard for the Korean society to embrace

anything different from it because it lacks tolerance by nature. It is possible

that hostility and segregation toward North Korean people can intensify after

unification; so we must work now through these exchanges to prevent this fall

out.”

Lee Chul Hoon, representing Bait Magazine,

a current affairs publication, followed during the media portion of the panel,

“In the case of German unification, West Germany’s media was crucial in providing information, invigorating

people’s desire for unification, and bridging the gap between West and East German

citizens. Considering the impact media had on German unification, the Korean

media and related policies are paramount in unification on the peninsula.”

Lee urged attendees to find solutions to

existing issues. “Broadcasting to North Korea has the advantage of relaying

outside information to people in the North, but to actually put this into

practice requires addressing several problems. Airtime must be increased and

radio frequencies improved so that North Koreans can tune in without barriers

such as white noise,” he explained.

North Korea Research Society for

Unification representative, Kim Jae Woo, spoke during the education part of the

panel. He noted, “Unification has been at the back of students’ minds because

of inadequate assessments of education on unification, curriculums that are not

oriented for the future, and methods of teaching that are unable to attract

interest from students. Under the current system, unification education is

merely suggested; it is crucial to make it a mandatory part of the curriculum.”

Kim suggested hands-on education such as

unification camps, essay contests, or concerts as experiences through which

students could reflect on and better understand unification matters.

Headed by NK Net, the panel featured guests

from the Students Alliance for Human Rights in North Korea, Bait Magazine,

Zeitgeist Youth Committee, Unification Supporters, Korean University Students

Forum, The Youth Forum, and the Student

Unification Research Council.