South and North unite like well-mixed Bibimbap
Createdd 2011-11-22 Hit 717
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South and North unite like well-mixed Bibimbap
(Published November 5, 2011)
‘Harmony Festival with Citizens from the North’ hosted in Yeouido on November 5th
1,500 participants, literature creation competition award ceremony and exhibition co-hosted
– Participants including Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Moon-soo, Unification Vice Minister Kim Chun-sig, and National Assembly Member Kim Choong-whan make ‘The Bibimbap of 8 United Provinces in Korea’ while wishing for unification in the ‘2011 Harmony Festival with Citizens from the North,’ hosted in Seoul’s Hangang Citizens Park near Yeouinaru Station on November 5th. (G-News Plus)
This festival was a harmonious venue for North Korean refugees and South Korean residents. The participants bonded in sympathy and wished for the unification of Korea.
The ‘2011 Harmony Festival with Citizens from the North,’ hosted by the North Korean Refugees Foundation and sponsored by the Ministry of Unification, Seoul City, Woori Bank, and the North Korean Refugees Central Council of Social Enterprise, was held on November 5th in Yeouido’s Hangang Citizens Park Event Plaza.
This event was hosted to promote mutual understanding and empathy between citizens of South Korea and North Korean defectors. Around 1,500 people participated, including domestic and foreign guests such as Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Moon-soo, Unification Vice Minister Kim Chun-sig, National Assembly Member Kim Choong-whan, and Korean Red Cross President Yu Jung-geun.
In his speech, Governor Kim Moon-so said, “The Republic of Korea passionately loves citizens who escaped from North Korea. We’re only poor at expressing our love because there are so few of you.” He proceeded to add, “Obama was from Kenya and became the President of the United States. There¡¯s no reason not to live in South Korea just because you’re from the North.”
Unification Vice Minister Kim Chun-sig said, “This event is for citizens of South and North Korea to gather and communicate.” He proceeded to add, “There are more than 22,000 citizens from North Korea living here in South Korea, and the number continues to increase every year. North Korean refugees are no longer a minority in our society, but our partners to move forward with together.”
During this event, various programs were held including: the Bibimbap of the 8 United Provinces in Korea’ a Message of Hope for Unification; a cultural experience including North Korean food and instruments; games of Yut; a harmony singing contest: a North Korean traditional art performance; and a North Korean food event.
Also, diverse information was provided for North Koreans including: employment support centers; alternative education for youth; and the Hana Center.
A participating citizen from North Korea, Choi Jeong-ja (69,¡¤Seoul, Nowon-gu), said, “I was an art performer when I was young. There weren’t any opportunities for me to watch North Korean performances after I came to South Korea, but today I enjoyed the performance and various programs thanks to this event.”
Kim Ok-hui (30, Seoul, Yangcheon-gu) said, “This was a valuable event for me – to meet people from my hometown. I wish there were more of these kinds of events.”
At this event, ‘The 3rd North Korean Defector Literature Creation Competition’ award ceremony and exhibition were co-hosted. Among the 304 essays, poems, and paintings that were submitted to Gyeonggi Province during the ten weeks since July, thirty excellent works were exhibited at the event.
An award ceremony was held for excellent works. The Minister of Unification Award was presented to the best works in each category, and the Gyeonggi Province Governor Award was given to Excellent, Encouraging, and Participating Works.
Governor Kim Moon-soo delivers a congratulatory message while making a heart above his head. (G-News Plus)
–G-News Plus News | Noh Sun-ik rohsoon45@naver.com
http://gnews.gg.go.kr/news/news_detail.asp?number=201111051939477055C048&s_code=C048
