Munhwa Ilbo, a South Korean daily newspaper, published a two-part series based on a recent interview with Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon.
The following are highlights and excerpts from an unofficial translation of the interview for our English-language readers. The original, full-length article can be found at the following link: https://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2025021001032321013001
What do you think about the recent political situation in South Korea?
“In the case of advanced democratic countries, the country is run based on the constitution, and it is supported by citizens who have moral and ethical values and make objective judgments. South Korea is lacking in this area. One of the more fundamental problems is that it is too divided along partisan lines. I majored in American history, and the Founding Fathers of the United States were wary of the tyranny of the majority through the system of democracy. They also recognized that for a democratic country to function well, its citizens must be moral and ethical. Even in the case of Venezuela, democracy cannot function properly without institutions alone; it must also have moral and ethical citizens. Korea’s division is so severe that the country’s operation is threatened, the rule of law is questioned, and the judicial system is unreliable. Allies such as the United States are looking at it with concern. We need to look ahead to Korea’s future, especially its economic future, and for the Korean people to wake up.”
What do you think about the South Korean economy?
“The future is bleak. First, the United States is South Korea’s largest export partner, and the United States is currently using tariffs to exert economic pressure. Second, in terms of population distribution, there are many older people and fewer young people with the economic power to support them. Third, we have adopted the Western welfare system in this situation. Political issues have also become complicated. Fourth, Korea’s chaebol-centered economic system is the cause of the undervaluation of Korean corporate stocks.”
How should we solve this?
“Reunification of the South and the North will be a tremendous opportunity. Reunification will bring all the elements needed for Korea’s growth and development, and all Koreans, especially the young, will have the opportunity to succeed and enjoy prosperity through reunification. It will add 25 million new people, not including overseas Koreans. If a new unified nation is established based on the ‘Korean Dream,’ not only will the domestic market be revitalized, but many overseas Koreans will also come to Korea and invest, so it will achieve great growth in terms of talent and capital.”
However, there are many concerns about Korean reunification, especially among the younger generation, due to cost issues.
“This is a faulty prediction made based on incorrect data from the German unification process 30 years ago. Reunification is a jackpot. Most of the costs can be financed by private capital. There is about 30 trillion dollars (about 400 trillion won) waiting to be invested overseas. If a new unified nation is established based on the Korean Dream, with such capital flowing into Korea, it will grow much faster than the rapid growth of coastal areas in China. North Korea poses a serious threat to survival worldwide by supporting Iran’s nuclear development and supporting Russia in the Ukraine War, while opposing NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and European countries. In this situation, if a new unified nation centered on the Korean Dream is established, I think the West and its allies will support Korea.”
This year is the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation, so it seems even more meaningful.
“The aspiration of Korean independence activists was to build a new modern nation and republic centered on Hongik Ingan. Through a vision of reunification based on the Korean Dream, we will create a country that combines not only Korea’s traditional values but also the good civilization values of the West. I hope that this Korean Dream will be passed on to all Koreans, especially the younger generation. If the Republic of Korea continues in the same direction as in the past, it will become a country like Japan today, where the younger generation is poorer and has no hope than their parents’ generation. However, if the vision of unification that I dream of comes true, the young generation will experience tremendous opportunities and prosperity. The premise that unification will take a long time and go through many processes is wrong. In order to achieve unification, all that is needed is to change the mindset of one person in North Korea. Then the process of unification can begin the next day. What is important is that the Korean people must want a unified future that can provide such opportunities and a future. Then, allies can help.”
What activities have you been doing for this so far?
“We have created a coalition of grassroots unification movements and organizations that practice unification. Although South Korea is divided by party and region, ultimately, the political world will follow the people’s reunification movement. President Yoon Seok-yeol presented a doctrine on August 15th last year that he would achieve reunification through grassroots movements led by citizens. The president accepted the grassroots unification movement and presented a vision. And in August 2023, through the Camp David Declaration in the United States, even the United States and Japan supported Korean unification through grassroots civic movements for the first time. This is why Kim Jong-un declared that he would abandon the unification policy that had been passed down for three generations since Kim Il-sung. South and North Korea have been competing for their systems, and this declaration is an admission that they lost the competition for unification. I think we have taken the initiative for reunification centered on the Korean Dream vision. North Korea’s Kim Jong-un will continue to lose control over his people. Ultimately, we are preparing to meet Kim Jong-un. We will go in with the leaders of the entire free world and meet.”
What do you think about US President Donald Trump?
“The MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement is fundamentally a grassroots civic movement that seeks to return to the founding spirit of the United States. Therefore, I believe that the Trump administration is likely to favor and cooperate with the grassroots civic reunification movement in Korea based on the Korean Dream. There is a high possibility that Trump will meet Kim Jong-un. Therefore, the reunification movement (not only in Korea but also around the world) is very important. It will help the Trump administration establish the right policy for Korea. American think tanks and policymakers are looking for alternatives as they believe that the U.S.’s narrow goal of denuclearizing North Korea will not work. The most important topic is reunification of North and South Korea.”
What do you think about South Korea’s low birth rate problem?
“While the most important thing for young people in the U.S. is ‘family,’ in Korea it seems to be ‘material abundance.’ In the early 1970s, Korea valued family above all else, and had the most beautiful and precious family system in the world. I hope that through the reunification movement, Korean people will once again realize the value and importance of family. Then, this will give us an opening to solving the low birth rate problem.”