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The opening ceremony for the 13th Unification Education Week is held on May 19 at the lawn plaza of the National Unification Education Center in Gangbuk District, Seoul. Unification Minister Kim Young-ho (third from left) delivers a commemorative speech. / Photo by Yoo Jae-ni

Unification Minister Kim Young-ho on May 19 emphasized that Korean reunification, like the country’s liberation from colonial rule, requires collective efforts across all generations and social classes.

“Just as liberation was the fruit of everyone’s hopes and actions coming together, unification is a task we can only achieve if we all unite,” Kim said in a commemorative speech at the opening ceremony of the 13th Unification Education Week, held at the National Unification Education Center in Seoul’s Gangbuk District.

Kim described unification as a path to “expand freedom to the North Korean people, achieve genuine peace free from nuclear threats, and contribute to global peace and prosperity,” calling it a fruit of freedom, peace, and prosperity.

This year’s Unification Education Week, held under the slogan “The light of liberation, lighting the path to unification,” runs from May 19 to 25. For the first time, the National Unification Education Center is fully open to the public during the event. Visitors can enjoy hands-on activities, food booths, and a rare display of a concrete slab from the Berlin Wall.

Commenting on the slogan, which was selected through a public contest, Kim said, “It reflects a strong determination for the nation to come together once again—just as we reclaimed the light of liberation 80 years ago—to light the way to unification.”

Kim also acknowledged that public awareness of unification remains limited. “That’s why the role of unification education is more important than ever,” he said.

“If people encounter unification naturally in everyday life—at school, at work, and in their communities—then the dream of unification will also become part of our lives,” Kim continued. “I hope people begin to see, hear, and talk about unification with their families, friends, and neighbors in their own neighborhoods.”

He concluded by saying, “These growing dreams of unification will become bright beacons lighting our path forward. The government will continue striving to provide better unification education, so the public can feel more connected to the vision of a unified Korea.”

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Unification Minister Kim Young-ho (third from left) and National Unification Education Center Director Ko Young-hwan (fourth from left) pose for a commemorative photo in front of a section of the Berlin Wall on display at the center's lawn plaza in Seoul on May 19. / Photo by Yoo Jae-ni