President Yoon Suk Yeol called Tuesday for achieving inter-Korean reunification based on a firm belief in liberal democracy, saying "communist totalitarian forces" will not stop their attempt to disturb free society.
Yoon made the remark during a meeting with new leaders of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, a presidential body that helps establish and implement bipartisan policies on democratic and peaceful unification.
"Communist totalitarian forces, the forces that blindly follow them and the opportunist followers are engaging in psychological warfare to disturb free society through false fabrication, propaganda and instigation, and they will not stop," he said during the meeting held at the former presidential compound, Cheong Wa Dae.
"In such a reality, in order to defend liberal democracy and grow our capabilities for unification by developing into a global pivotal state, your roles are more important than ever," he told the more than 300 people gathered. The council, which is chaired by the president, has 21,000 members at home and abroad.
"I hope all of you, who are working across the nation and around the world, will have a firm belief in liberal democracy and become pioneers for free unification," he added.
Yoon recalled his Aug. 18 trilateral summit with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland.
In particular, he cited the part of their joint statement that expressed support for "a unified Korean Peninsula that is free and at peace," saying it was the first time ever such language was adopted by the three leaders. (Yonhap)
