Brief History

Brief History 1960~
Date	Events
July 24, 1968	Revision to the Government Organization Act on the Creation of the National Unification Board (Law No. 2,041) promulated
Jan 29, 1969	Bill drawn up on the Organization of the National Unification Board (Presidential Decree 3754)
Feb 20, 1969	Preparations began for the opening of the board's temporary office in Annex 2 to Government Complex Building in Seoul
March 1, 1969	The National Unification Board opened; Research and publicity were its major functions
May 12, 1969	An advisory committee established (36 members appointed)

Brief History 1970~
Date	Events
April 3, 1970	The National Unification Board Advisory Committee renamed the Elders' Council of the Board
April 22, 1972	Unification Training Center Bill enacted (Presidential Decree 6158)
May 1, 1972	Training Center opened
March 14, 1975	Peace and Unification Institute established (disbanded Jan 8, 1981)

Brief History 1980~
Date	Events
Oct 20, 1980	Bill legislated on the establshment of South-North Dialogue Secretariat (Presidential decree 10049); The board took over the secretariat from the National Security Agency and opened it under its wing.
Nov 2, 1981	With the abolishment of policy planning bureau of the board, policy planning functions were transferred to policy research division of the secretariat.
Oct 18, 1986	North Korea Center opened (It closed Feb 1, 1997)
Dec 26, 1986	Unification Training Center renamed Unification Training Institute
May 22, 1989	North Korea Data Center opened (on the 6th floor of Kwanghwamun Post Office Building)
July 24, 1989	Unification Policy Office created (Policy making functions moved from South-North Dialogue Secretariat to Unification Policy Office)

Brief History 1990~
Date	Events
May 10, 1990	Press Room established (on the 5th floor of Government Complex Building 1)
Aug 1, 1990	South-North Exchanges and Cooperation Bill enacted (Law 4,239) South-North Cooperation Fund Bill enacted (Law 4,240) - Council created to promote South-North exchanges and cooperation (President: Minister) National Unification Research Institute Bill enacted (Law 4,241)
Nov 14, 1990	Post of envoy created to the Korean embassy in Germany
Dec 27, 1990	The Korean name of the board changed, but its English name left as it was. Status raised to the level as a Vice Prime Ministerial ministry. The board authorized to coordinate policy-related ministries.
March 23, 1991	First meeting of unification-related ministers held (President: Minister of Unification)
April 9, 1991	Korea Institute for National Unification unveiled
Oct 30, 1992	Secretariat of South-North Dialogue renamed Office for South-North Dialogue
Jan 23, 1995	KEDO LWR Project Support Group inaugurated
Jan 15, 1996	First issue of its bulletin, ‘Sejongro 4th Floor,’ published
June 29, 1996	Posts of envoys to Korean embassies in the United States, Japan and China created
Nov 13, 1996	Construction began for the House of Freedom in the truce village of Panmunjom
Dec 10, 1996	The homepage of the Ministry of Unification opened
Dec 17, 1996	Humanitarian Affairs Bureau created; the Education Center for Unification renamed the Institute of Political Education for Unification (Education and Public Information Bureaus integrated)
Jan 13, 1997	A bill to protect dislocated North Koreans and support their settlement passed and promulgated (Effective July 14, 1997) - A consultative council to deal with dislocated North Koreans was established. Vice Minister of the unification board presided over the council.
Aug 19, 1997	Ground broken for the site where to build nuclear power plants under the KEDO deal
Dec 30, 1997	Construction began for facilities to accomodate dislocated North Koreans (Construction scheduled to be complete by June 1999)
Feb 28, 1998	Under the government reorganization program, the National Unification Board was renamed the Ministry of Unification (MOU). - The secretariat office of the Advisory Council on Democratice and Peaceful Unification was scaled back to an MOU-affiliated agency (the secretariat bureau of the council).
June 30, 1998	The House of Freedom in Panmunjom dedicated
Dec 18, 1998	The ministry received presidential Prize as the best secured government agency in 1998.
Dec 22, 1998	The ministry won presidential prize as the best public service agency in 1998.
Jan 29, 1999	Under a law on the establishment, operation and development of government-invested research institutes (law 5,733), the Korea Institute for National Unification Act was abolished. - The Korea Institute for National Unification was reengineered. Its Korean name was changed, but its English name kept intact. The Prime Minister's Office made investment in the institute.
Feb 5, 1999	A bill on the support for education in unification was enacted (Law 5,752) and took effect (Aug 6, 1999).
May 24, 1999	Information Analysis Office was reorganized into Information Analysis Bureau. An office to support the settlement of dislocated North Koreans was established. The secretariat office of the Advisory Council on Democratic and Peaceful Unification was separated from the ministry and stood on its own.
July 8, 1999	Settlement Support Office for Dislocated North Koreans was established in Ansung

Brief History 2000~
Date	Events
April 24, 2001	Two divisions, one for separated families and the other for dialogue, were added, and 15 staff workers were recruited.
July 8, 2002	The construction of a new building for the Settlement Support Office for North Korean Refugees began.
Oct 4, 2002	"Settlement Counseling Division" in Settlement Support Office for Dislocated North Koreans is newly added and 14 staff workers are recruited.
Nov 20, 2003	Opened the Inter-Korean Transit Office (Presidential decree 18131)
Jan 29, 2004	Revised and promulgated the organization of the Ministry of Unification and its offices(Presidential decree 18251)Consolidated the economic cooperation, cultural exchanges, and the related functions of South and North Korea.Humanitarian Assistance Bureau changed its name into Social & Cultural Exchange Bureau.
May 25, 2004	Renamed the Center on North Korea into the Unification Center
Apr. 15, 2005	Revised and promulgated presidential decree 18786 on the organization of the Ministry of Unification and its affiliated agencies Reshuffled the Planning and Management Office into the Office for Policy and Public Relations putting a greater emphasis on public relations
Sep. 5, 2005	Created the Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation Consultation Office
Jan. 26, 2006	Created the General Transit Division under the Inter-Korean Transit Office, the Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation Division ？？(responsible for examination of strategic material) under the Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation Bureau and the Assistance Cooperation Division ？？(responsible for development cooperation) under the Social and Cultural Exchanges Bureau
Aug. 24, 2006	Increased the number of staff responsible for establishing basic plans and effectuating related agreements following the enactment of the Inter-Korean Relations Development Act Introduced a "team & headquarters" system
Feb. 28, 2007	Increased the number of staff responsible for inter-Korean economic cooperation Created the Unification Archives & Information Service Team
Jul. 2, 2007	Extended the term of Gaeseong Industrial Complex Project Bureau by one year
Nov. 2, 2007	Created the Bureau for Compensation & Assistance to Persons Abducted to North Korea following the enforcement of the law on providing compensation and assistance to people abducted by North Korea
Feb. 29, 2008	Downsized the organizational structure of the Ministry of Unification following the restructuring of the government organizations, thereby weakening its functions in information analysis and economic cooperation Reduced the organization from five headquarters, two bureaus and five affiliated agencies to one office, three bureaus, one special bureau for GIC project and five affiliated agencies
May. 25, 2009	Revised the organizational structure of the Ministry. The Unification Policy Bureau was renamed to Unification Policy Office, expanding its size and scope. Created the Intelligence and Analysis Bureau
Oct. 5, 2009	Created Inter-Korean Cooperation District Support Directorate.
Jan. 24, 2011	The North Korean Refugees Foundation was designated a quasi-governmental organization under the Ministry of Unification.
Jan. 31, 2011	The South-North Korea Exchange and Cooperation Support Association was designated a quasi-governmental organization under the Ministry of Unification.
May. 23, 2012	Unification attaches were posted in Germany and Russia.

North Korea

Inter-Korean Affairs

Brief History