“Support to a Free and Unified Korea –
Opportunities and Challenges
Developing a Comprehensive U.S. Strategy
to Support Unification”
Thursday, June 6, 2024 | 1-5 PM
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Background and Concept (Page 2)
2. Forum Summary: “International Forum on One Korea 2024 Explores U.S.
Support for a Free and Unified Korea” by Robin McDonough (Page 4)
3. Video: One Korea Forum: Capitol Policy Forum June 2024 (Page 19)
4. “The Economics of Korean Unification: Thinking the Unthinkable?” by Nicholas
Eberstadt (Page 21)
5. “Step Back, Door Closing, Move Forward,’’ by William B. Brown (page 42)
6. “An Argument for Korean Reunification: The Economic Case and Need for U.S.
Support of South Korean Policy to Create Favorable Conditions for a Free and
Unified Korea: by George Hutchinson (Page 50)
7. “Talking Points: Capitol Hill Forum, One Free Korea,” by Robert Joseph (Page 52)
8. “National Strategy for Countering North Korea,” by Robert Joseph, et al. (Page
55)
9. “Unification, Information, Human Rights,” by Greg Scarlatoiu (Page 74)
10. “10 Point Promise to the North Korean People,” by Fredrick “Skip” Vincenzo
(Page 80)
11. Feed the World the Truth about North Korea by Dr. Sung-Yoon Lee (84)
12. Power Point Presentation: “The Economics of Korean Unification: Thinking the
Unthinkable?” by Nicholas Eberstadt (Page 91)
13. Korea Taking Points by David Maxwell (Page 115)
14. Speaker Biographies (Page 119)
Conveners:
●
Global Peace Foundation
●
Action for Korea United
●
One Korea Foundation
●
Alliance for Korea United, U.S.A.
Background and Concept
To initiate a discussion about developing a comprehensive U.S. plan to support the
pursuit of a free and unified Korea with a special focus on the economic aspects of
unification because this is one of the most feared challenges, yet the least
discussed. Since the first Korean Vision statement was issued in 2009, every
Republic of Korea (ROK) and U.S. president, including Presidents Trump and
Moon in 2017 has expressed support for unification. The year 2023 was a banner
year because the ROK/U.S. Summit in April 2023 and the Camp David Summit in
August 2023 both expressed support for a free and unified Korea (to include
support from the Prime Minister of Japan). It is now time for government officials
and citizens in all three countries to follow through with their leaders’ vision and
operationalize planning along three lines of effort: (1) a human rights up front
approach; (2) an information campaign to inform and educate the Korean people
in the north; and (3) the pursuit of a free and unified Korea by governments and
civil society. Ideas and concepts developed during the forum will be consolidated
in a dra� plan for Operationalizing Support for a free and unified Korea, creating
the conditions for change inside North Korea.
Our goal is to develop a comprehensive "U.S. strategy for support to Korean
unification" by November so the next administration can have it by the
inauguration. In addition, the Korean government is actively pursuing unification
and their new unification policy
here: https://www.unikorea.go.kr/eng_unikorea/news/releases/?boardId=bbs_000
0000000000034&mode=view&cntId=54295 This can serve as a guide for
developing support for unification while the Korean Dream provides the overall
vision for a new free and unified Korea.
International Forum on One Korea 2024
Explores U.S. Support for a Free and
Unified Korea
Robin McDonough
June 14, 2024
https://globalpeace.org/international-forum-on-one-korea-2024-explores-u-s-support-fo
r-a-free-and-unified-korea/
A panel discusses Operationalizing Government and Citizen Support for Korean Unification at the
International Forum on One Korea held at the U.S. Capitol.
“The Korea question is the unnatural division of the Korean peninsula,” commented David
Maxwell, senior fellow of Global Peace Foundation (GPF) and Vice President of the
Center for Asia Pacific Strategy as he welcomed the distinguished panelists and in-person
and virtual attendees to the Capitol Policy Forum: U.S. Support for a Free and Unified
Korea. He further noted that political leaders have been struggling for 71 years with how
to unify North Korea and South Korea, reiterating that global assistance is required to
support the peaceful reunification of Korea.
GPF international president James Flynn delivers remarks.
GPF organized the “International Forum: One Korea 2024” held on Capitol Hill on June 6,
2024. In his opening remarks, GPF President James Flynn said, “The power of ideas
enables us to look beyond the way things are and to see totally different possibilities.” To
this end, thought leaders from the U.S. participated in the discussion to develop a
comprehensive U.S. strategy for a free and unified Korea centered on two key topics: the
economic benefits of unification and the path forward to support the quest for change and
peaceful unification through the lens of human rights and information sharing.
Congressman Rob Wittman, a congressional sponsor for the Capitol Policy Forum, spoke
on the importance of providing U.S. support to Korean unification saying, “We have to
facilitate a platform for North Korean escapees to tell their stories… it’s only with those
stories that we can highlight how important it is to reunify the two nations.”
Congressman Rob Wittman delivers video remarks.
Economic Considerations: Opportunities from Korean Unification
Prominent panelists participated in separate discussions on strategies related to the two
topics. Mrs. Hee Eun Kim, President and CEO of the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy,
moderated the first panel discussion, “Economic Considerations: Opportunities from
Korean Unification.” Panelists included Dr. Nicholas Eberstadt, Henry Wendt Chair in
Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute; Dr. Kent Hughes, Public Policy
Fellow and former director for the Program on America and the Global Economy at the
Woodrow Wilson Center; John Dickson, GPF senior advisor; Professor William Brown,
principal, Northeast Asia Economics and Intelligence Advisory LLC and University of
Maryland professor; and Dr. George Hutchinson, editor of the International Journal of
Korean Studies and member of the board of directors of the International Council on
Korean Studies.
Session 1 panel at the Capitol Policy Forum: Economic Considerations: Opportunities from Korean
Unification
Dr. Eberstadt presented “The Economics of Korean Unification: Thinking the
Unthinkable,” where he discussed four main points related to the economics of Korean
unification: delays increase the size of the task and length of time, “three generations of
extraordinary misrule” caused North Korea’s poverty—not its people, investments
generating high rates of return can pay for the reconstruction, and a resource-rich South
Korea and world community can finance it. He emphasized that while it will be a daunting
task, the benefits of unification will be global. According to Dr. Eberstadt, the path to
achieving a unified Korea is “unthinkable only if we fail to think about it.”
Dr. Kent Hughes speaking at the International Forum on One Korea.
Dr. Hughes reinforced the need to be creative and flexible, look ahead, and be well
prepared for unification, as South Korea has the potential to combine with global
assistance to achieve this crucial outcome. Mr. John Dickson supported this approach and
reinforced the potential role of small and medium-sized enterprises in helping to achieve
unification as presented by Dr. Eberstadt. “Isolation is what makes a country dangerous,”
said Mr. Dickson. He showcased the idea of eventually building a World Trade Center in
Pyongyang. The instant network that the project could provide would open a floodgate of
collaboration to invigorate the region and be a model of peace for other tumultuous
territories around the world.
Professor William Brown at the Capitol Policy Forum.
Professor Brown took a North Korean slant and cautioned that “Unification, or a
combination of the two Koreas into one free nation, is truly a daunting and dangerous
proposition.” He agreed that all of Korea would benefit from an economic integration of
North and South Korea; however, the challenge lies in how to make it happen. Professor
Brown discussed three essentials for reunification, including decentralization by replacing
socialism with capitalism, the creation of a decent money and banking system, and the
creation of an ownership society. According to him, information must be pushed to North
Koreans on the benefits of unification, and North Korean sanctions should be revised to
“penalize bad behavior and reward good behavior.”