Ewha Womans University held the “2022 Yoon Hoo-Jung Unification Forum” at the Lee Sam-bong Hall of the ECC building at 2 p.m. on October 6 (Thu.).
The forum, which marks its ninth anniversary since its inaugural session in 2014, has been prepared as a venue for different generations to discuss a new vision for unification under the theme of “Re-imagining Unification.”
The event began with opening remarks by Ewha President Eun Mee Kim and congratulatory remarks by Unification Minister Kwon Youngse, followed by an award ceremony for the pre-event “Re-imagining Unification Contest,” which aimed to inspire younger generations to take an interest toward and build consensus on the necessity for unification.
The first part of the event featured the screening of a special edition of the documentary film The Children Gone to Poland, directed by and starring Chu Sang-mi, followed by a conversation with the director. Director Chu posited her belief that the teachers featured in the documentary were able to take care of Korean orphans with love and dedication despite the different racial backgrounds, because the children had reminded them of their painful memories from the Second World War, and emphasized, “Wounds can be healed by others who also bear wounds.” She also noted, “I hope this film provides an opportunity to reflect on our attitude towards young North Korean defectors, who are also Koreans, just like us. I believe we can encourage the re-imagining of unification through the power of the arts and cultural content.”
In the second part, the forum presented the results of a survey titled “Ewha Womans University undergraduate students’ perceptions of inter-Korean unification,” which investigated students’ perceptions of unification, the inter-Korean relationship, North Korea, and North Korean defectors, followed by a roundtable discussion on the topic of “Re-imagining Unification” with President Eun Mee Kim, student winners of the aforementioned contest, and Professor Seok Hyang Kim of the Department of North Korean Studies. The young student panelists freely shared their views on the subjects of the prize-winning projects such as Generation MZ’s perceptions of unification, cultural exchanges, and inter-Korean forestry cooperation as well as unification. The forum has been providing opportunities to listen to opinions of prominent figures and experts, and this year’s event was especially meaningful as students participated in the event and presented their imaginative visions for unification that may have eluded older generations. President Kim remarked, “I hope that this event opens the door for many more opportunities for younger and older generations to come together and discuss the issue of unification.”
