April 17 (Asia Today) — Kang Chang-il, the new senior vice chairman of South Korea’s Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, called Thursday for joint efforts to improve inter-Korean relations and said he would work to revitalize the council’s public role.

Speaking at his inauguration ceremony in Seoul, Kang said many South Koreans are familiar with the Unification Ministry but know little about the advisory council itself. He said he would work to make the body more visible and active in promoting peaceful unification.

Kang said the council has strengths in gathering public opinion and building consensus on peaceful unification, and that it should use that role to recommend policy to the president and broaden public awareness.

He said inter-Korean relations remain difficult amid debate over a “two-state” framework and described the current moment as serious. Kang also referred to messages from Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, who is serving in that post as of April, and said recent remarks by President Lee Jae-myung had been positively received by North Korea.

“I hope we can all join forces to gradually resolve issues in inter-Korean relations,” Kang said.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

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