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| Participants of a press conference organized by the Institute of Korean Cultural Studies wear masks of President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, Wednesday. The press conference was held to wish for a successful inter-Korean summit on Friday. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
By Kang Seung-woo
The government is seeking to promote the flying of the "unification flag," in the hopes of creating the mood for a successful inter-Korean summit.
President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will hold the summit, Friday, at the border town of Panmunjeom -- 11 years after a second summit took place in Pyongyang in October 2007. The historic first meeting between the two Koreas was held in June 2000.
The unification flag features a light blue silhouette of the Korean Peninsula on a white background and has been used in sports events when the two Koreas have fielded a joint team since 1991. Under the flag, the South and North Korean athletes marched together at the opening and closing ceremonies of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in February
South Gyeongsang Province Office of Education has flown the flag since Monday at its main gate, as have 18 organizations under its wing.
"The flag raising shows our wishes for the success of the upcoming inter-Korean summit," said an official, adding the regional education office was the first to fly the unification flag among its counterparts.
According to the education office, the flag will be flown until 6 p.m., Friday.
Gwangju Metropolitan Governemt put up a giant banner featuring the unification flag on the wall of its building as a means of welcoming the summit as well as hoping for a successful one.
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Gwangju, the host for next year's World Swimming Championships, also hopes that success at the summit will lead to the North's participation in the event.
"Flying the flag" has also been picked up by some non-government organizations.
The Gangwon chapter of the June 15 Joint Declaration civic group set up flags on both sides of a three-kilometer road near the Unification Bridge. June 15 refers to the first summit between former President Kim Dae-jung and former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, the late father of Kim Jong-un.
"We hope the two heads of state will make a big decision for a historic turning point, leading to brisk inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation and eventually, Korean unification," said a civic group official.
The civic group's Daejeon branch purchased an advertisement welcoming the summit which has been displayed on city buses since Tuesday. In memory of the first summit, buses on route 615 are carrying the ad.
Fishermen from the five border islands have raised unification flags on their fishing boats since early April. The five include Yeonpyeong Island, at which the North fired dozens of artillery shells, killing two marines and two civilians in November 2010.
Unlike existing ones, the fishermen have added the border islands to their flags and text reading, "Expand the fishing ground of the five border islands."
"The danger of war is always lurking on the border islands, so we are always concerned about it," said a fisherman from Baengnyeong Island.
"Through the upcoming inter-Korean summit, we hope for exchanges between the two nation's fishermen."
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