On January 8, President Park Jae Kyu attended a greeting party hosted by the Ministry of Unification (MOU) at Lotte Hotel in Seoul. Seven former unification ministers attended this party, including: President Park Jae Kyu (26th Minister of MOU), Kim Young-ho (43rd), Son Jae-sik (10th), Lee Hong-koo (14th, 20th), Kang Indeok (24th), Hyun In-tak (35th), Ryu Woo-ik (36th), and Hong Yong-pyo (38th). It is the first time in four years that many former unification ministers gathered in one place. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the recent inter-Korean situation and the government's unification policy. At the meeting, KU President Park Jae Kyu suggested holding public-private discussions with domestic as well as overseas research institutes to discuss the direction of the unification issue.