The 5th South and North youth-student's seminar for reunification was held in Beijing on July 25th-29th. South and North Korean youths who grew up in different ideologies and political systems re-recognized themselves as one nation going beyond the peninsula.

The Youth Federation for World Peace (President: Bong-Tae Kim) and the College Association for the Research of the Principle (President Young Joon Kim) co-hosted the seminar under the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, which was the fifth event since the first one was held at Moscow, Russia in 1994.

President Bon-Tae Kim and 143 youths & students from the South, Hyuk-Pil Huh, vice president of Hyung-Jim Kim educational college, 60 professors & students participated in the seminar. They attended seminars, cultural events, sporting events under the theme: 'The role of youth to build a reunified country'.

200 South and North Korean professors, youths, and students had enthusiastic discussions during all three sessions. Each session had its own sub-theme such as "Plan for restoration of national identity." In the cultural events and sporting events, they had body contact and sang together, they became brothers and sisters without any kinds of hostilities.

President Bong-Tae Kim of YFWP said in his opening ceremony, "mankind is moving toward the new millennium of peace and unification closing the 20th century where wars and the cold war occurred due to the ideological conflicts." He also urged the southern and northern youths to have a deep discussion about reunification and to be the model of great harmony between the South and North Korea.

Vice president Hyuk-Pil Huh the northern team leader gave congratulatory remarks, saying " I hope this event which has great national expectations can contribute to building the independent and peaceful bridge of reunification between the North and the South.

Next, In Sul-Jeong (Seoul Univ. National History 3) and Wan-Chul-Ryu (Graduate school of Kim-Il Sung Univ.) presented their paper on the main theme, "The role of youth in building the reunified country."

After the opening ceremony there were sectional discussions on the sub-theme of "Planing for restoring the national identity", "settlement of peace in the Korean peninsula and a nation"s independence", also "creation of united cultures through youths and student"s cooperation." According to these three themes, southern and northern student representatives presented their paper, and a Q&A and free-discussion session followed.

Sometimes, South and North Korean students felt as though there was a high wall between them and became apprehensive the other sides assertion. But, everyone avoided mentioning subtle issues and hurting one another's pride. Both south and north Korean students showed their maturity and finally completed the seminar.

After that, they escaped from stiff discussions, and enjoyed Yutnori (traditional game), sporting events, sightseeing, and cultural events together, and became closer as one nation.

From the web page: <www.family.tongil.or.kr/ctnews>

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