“A unified Korea of high ideals will end the ominous threats to peace and security in East Asia and will greatly benefit the world. With vision, leadership, and robust civic action, Korea’s historical quest for one free, independent sovereign nation can and will be a reality that is firmly within our reach.”

Dr. Hyun Jin P. Moon
GPF Chairman
2021 International Forum on One Korea

 Korean Dream Rally Builds Momentum for 80th National Liberation Day Anniversary

August 15, National Liberation Day, holds unique significance as the only holiday jointly celebrated in both North and South Korea. It commemorates the end of Japanese occupation in 1945 and the establishment of independent governments in both Koreas in 1948. As a symbolic expression of unity, the holiday serves as both a reminder of the human tragedy of division and the enduring aspiration of all Koreans to embrace their shared culture and history as one united people.

Advancing the Korean Dream Vision

The 2025 National Liberation Day carries special weight as the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation. In preparation for this milestone, approximately 500 South Korean political, economic, and cultural leaders gathered at the National Assembly in Seoul on March 5 for the Korean Dream Unification Action Rally. The Global Peace Foundation co-hosted the event as part of broader domestic and international initiatives building support for Korean reunification.

Central to the rally was the Korean Dream 10 Million Signature Campaign, which seeks international support for the 80th anniversary celebration. The campaign promotes Dr. Moon’s “Korean Dream” vision, first introduced in 2012 and detailed in his 2014 book Korean Dream: Vision of a Unified Korea. This framework emphasizes Korea’s shared cultural roots and civil society’s essential role in peacebuilding.

Key Messages

Distinguished attendees included the deputy speaker of the National Assembly, the secretary-general of the National Unification Advisory Council, the chairman of the Association of Families of Independence Patriots, representatives of Action for Korea United, and a standing committee member of the National Unification Advisory Council and a former North Korean diplomat.

The speakers emphasized the Korean Dream’s focus on unification through shared history and culture, advocating for the human and civil rights of North Koreans. They drew inspiration from the March 1st Movement and Korea’s founding philosophy of Hongik Ingan – “to live for the benefit of humanity.”

Looking Ahead to August 15

The chairman of the Korean Dream Ten Million Campaign Committee outlined strategic plans, analyzing North Korea’s current situation, international dynamics, and South Korea’s political landscape. He emphasized that the Korean Dream’s realization depends on the collective will and power of the Korean people.

As the campaign’s centerpiece, organizers announced plans for an international leaders’ conference and large-scale Unification Festival on the Han River on August 15. The event will feature a record-breaking drone show with approximately 5,000 drones – potentially the largest display of its kind – symbolizing the collective strength and aspirations of Korean citizens.

The original post appears on Global Peace Foundation. Global Peace Foundation is an international non-sectarian, non-partisan, nonprofit organization, which promotes an innovative, values-based approach to peacebuilding, guided by the vision of One Family under God. GPF engages and organizes a global network of public and private-sector partners who develop community, national, and regional peacebuilding models as the foundation for ethical and cohesive societies. Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon is the founder and chairman of the Global Peace Foundation.

Global Peace Women and the Global Peace Foundation launched a new campaign, Women and Families in Peacebuilding: Catalysts for Transformative Change, to spotlight inspiring women from their networks who have shown exceptional dedication to peacebuilding, service, and community transformation.

Emphasizing the idea that “peace begins in the home,” the initiative highlights the vital role women and families play in creating lasting peace through compassion, education, and intergenerational values. These women—mothers, educators, faith leaders, and community builders—are recognized for their grassroots efforts in reconciliation, advocacy, and healing after conflict. Their stories aim to motivate others to embrace peacebuilding roles in their own communities.

Read their encouraging stories:

A GPW Leadership Academy graduate launched a mental health initiative in Ruiru, Kenya, with support from GPW’s Global Women Dream grant. Running from July to December 2024, the project offered training, counseling, and community activities to help women manage stress, anxiety, and trauma, empowering them to support both their families and communities. Read

In Mkovur Zema, Benue State, Nigeria, a Global Peace Women Nigeria project empowered women, especially widows, through sustainable livelihoods and nutrition-focused training. The initiative equipped 20 widows with leadership skills, economic tools, and support to rebuild their lives and strengthen their families. The project fostered self-reliance, unity, and community development. Read

Disasters do more than destroy homes—they upend lives and leave families struggling to rebuild. In 2023, Cyclone Freddy devastated Mtauchira Village in Chiradzulu district, killing 18 people and displacing 59 families. With the village rendered uninhabitable, residents were forced into camps. For these displaced families, recovery goes beyond emergency aid—it’s about regaining dignity, livelihoods, and a sense of belonging. The Family Matters Assistance Project is stepping in to help. Read

In Tanzania’s Mtwara region, the Familia Moja Initiatives: Amplifying Change for Sustainable Peace project is strengthening families as the foundation of lasting peace. Recognizing that peace starts at home, the project empowered vulnerable families to become agents of change. The initiative tackled issues like conflict and gender-based violence by helping families lead the way toward stronger, more peaceful communities. Read

In Hayin Dan Mani, Kaduna, a transformation is taking place. Thirty single mothers, once facing economic hardship and social stigma, are now thriving as business owners and community leaders. The Empowering Single Mothers through Craftsmanship and Entrepreneurship project has provided these women with income-generating skills, confidence, and renewed leadership in their families and communities. Read

In Malawi’s Machinga district, women are driving community change through Ndife Amodzi (“We Are One”), a peacebuilding and empowerment initiative that equips women with skills in entrepreneurship, sustainable farming, and civic leadership, promoting strong families as the foundation of peaceful societies. Read

Launched in 2022, Project Saksham promotes moral values and leadership in youth through values-based education. The program encourages peaceful mindsets and strong character to build harmony within families and communities. By January 2025, the project had reached 11 schools in Kathmandu District, engaging 268 students, 20 volunteers, and 11 teachers in interactive workshops focused on leadership, teamwork, and service. Read

In Tanzania’s Rufiji District, a young woman launched the Empower Women with Disabilities through Economic Generation project from July to December 2024. The initiative aimed to break the barriers of economic marginalization and social exclusion faced by women with disabilities by providing 40 women with entrepreneurial skills, seed capital, and tools to improve their livelihoods. Read

This compilation of stories is adapted from stories featured on the Global Peace Foundation website. The Global Peace Foundation is an international non-sectarian, non-partisan, nonprofit organization, that promotes an innovative, values-based approach to peacebuilding, guided by the vision of One Family under God. GPF engages and organizes a global network of public and private-sector partners who develop community, national, and regional peacebuilding models as the foundation for ethical and cohesive societies. Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon is the founder and chairman of the Global Peace Foundation.

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.”

Muhwa Ilbo, a South Korean daily newspaper recently published an article about Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon and his Korean Dream work on the Korean peninsula.

The following are highlights from the article provided for our English-language readers. The original Korean article can be found at the following link: https://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2025021001032321230001

Dr. Hyun Jin Moon, founder and Chairman of the Global Peace Foundation (GPF), is a global peace activist who is working for world peace and national transformation based on the concept of the Korean Dream. His “Korean Dream” is the realization of a new unified nation based on the spirit of “Hongik Ingan” (to benefit all humanity) that would contribute to world peace.

In 2012, Dr. Moon founded Action for Korean United (AKU) to spark a global civil society Korean reunification movement. AKU has chapters in the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere to connect with Korean compatriots abroad. It has grown to become the largest private organization working for Korean reunification, with more than 1,000 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) currently affiliated with it.

Dr. Moon, who comes from a family that has fought for Korea’s independence and development for four generations, studied history at Columbia University under the guidance of historian Kenneth T. Jackson and graduated from Harvard Business School. His father, the late Reverend Sun Myung Moon, opened the door to North Korea by meeting with North Korean leader, Kim Il Sung. Dr. Moon went on to work with his father, going on to build an international foundation for South Korea’s economic development as well as other global humanitarian work.

In 2001, he founded the international nonprofit organization, Service for Peace (SFP), with a plan to run sustainable community development programs in underserved areas around the world. SFP was the first volunteer organization to be allowed into North Korea to implement joint projects involving North and South Koreans and was granted Special Consultative Status by the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

Moon believes that moral and innovative leadership based on universal principles and values is a key factor in realizing peace. This conviction led him to found GPF in 2009, and he currently serves as its Chairman.

GPF currently holds special consultative status with the United Nations and is a partner NGO of the UN Department of Public Information, working in over 20 countries. It has transformed impoverished rural communities in Asia, Africa, and Latin America through its All Lights Village project.

South Korean news outlet, Asia Today, published a series of articles based on a recent interview with Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon. The following are highlights from an unofficial translation of an article focused on the current political turmoil and its implications for U.S. relations for both North and South Korea. You can read the original article in Korea at the following link: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20250205010001876&ref=search

Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon, Chairman of the Global Peace Foundation spoke on the possibility of a reunified Korea. In terms of the political situation in South Korea, he pointed out that South Korea may be marginalized in the future of U.S.-North Korea relations as the U.S. enters a second Donald Trump administration. To overcome this, he emphasized that restoring South Korea’s currently collapsed democratic system and restoring public trust must be prioritized.

“The Trump administration is also discussing and making new policies on how to deal with Kim Jong Un,” Moon said at a press conference at the Fairmont Ambassador Seoul Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, earlier in the day. ”That’s why the reunification movement I’m doing now is very important not only for Korea but also for the world.”

“The current Korean Dream movement can influence the Trump administration of the United States to set the right policy related to the Korean Peninsula,” Moon said. “What American think tanks and policy makers have in common is that they admit that the approach with a single goal of ‘denuclearization of North Korea’ is wrong,” he said. ”Therefore, the Trump administration is looking for a new alternative solution, and the most central theme in that solution is the reunification of North and South Korea.”

“Just a few hours after President Yoon declared emergency martial law, it was revoked by the democratic system. The first impeachment failed in the National Assembly, and the second impeachment finally succeeded, and then the Prime Minister became the acting president, but even the Prime Minister was impeached, so with whom would the U.S. work?” he asked.

“The international community is looking at South Korea very carefully,” he said, pointing to the breakdown of the rule of law and the separation of powers, including the Constitutional Court. In the eyes of world leaders, what is going on in South Korea is similar to what happened in Venezuela. The people are feeling it,” he said.

South Korean news outlet Asia Today published a three-part series based on a recent interview with Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon where he spoke on the current political situation in South Korea.

The following are highlights from an unofficial translation of the article we have provided for our English-language readers. The full article can be found in its original Korean version here. 

Commenting on the domestic political situation unfolding in South Korea, Global Peace Foundation Chairman Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon said, “Among the many problems that South Korea is currently facing, the most serious one is that it is too divided along partisan lines.” He emphasized that safeguarding democracy starts with moral and ethical citizenship, not just the system.

He also stressed that the only way to overcome all these complex political problems and economic difficulties is to reunify North and South Korea and build a new Korea after reunification.

Moon also spoke about the future direction of U.S.-North Korea relations and South Korea’s North-South reunification movement in the wake of Donald Trump’s second term as president of the United States.

“When we look back at the history of the United States, the Founding Fathers of the United States discussed and studied in depth how to run the country well,” Moon said. Moon emphasized that democracy is not only about the democratic system itself, but also about moral and ethical citizenship.

“The reason why we are mentioning and emphasizing the history of the United States is because many countries in the modern era have built their countries by imitating the American model of democracy,” he said. ”But even such a democracy cannot function properly without moral and ethical citizens. That’s why you can’t build a good country with just a simple democratic system,” he emphasized.

Asia Today, a South Korean media outlet, published a three-part series based on a recent interview with Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon in Seoul, Korea earlier this month.

Below are highlights taken from an unofficial translation of the interview for our English readers. The original article in Korean can be found here: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20250205010001875&ref=search

In remarks related to the current political situation in South Korea., Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon observed, “It’s a shame that such an important year is beginning in this way and while we may be worried about the current situation, we must not forget that this is the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation.”

“The bright future of Korea will come with reunification,” he said, adding, “The aspiration of the independence fighters was to build a new modern nation centered on the ideals of Hongik Ingan. The Korean Dream was to create such a new country that would combine not only the best Korean traditions and values but also the best civilizational elements of the West.”

“The history of independence is important because it was a movement that stood at a pinnacle in the history of modernization and the modernization of Korea.” Yet, Dr. Moon noted that ”the wishes of the independence movement to modernize Korea and build a modern nation have not been fulfilled.”

“Therefore, a new country that combines the best of Korea and the best of the West, a new country that will be established based on the Korean Dream, will open up a bright future for Korea,” he said. “My hope is that this vision of the Korean Dream will be properly and accurately communicated to all Koreans, especially the youth.”

“I also hope that if young people realize what the Korean Dream is and what opportunities it offers, they will take the initiative to participate in this movement,” he said, adding, “I think this is the most crucial and important time to determine that future for young people.”

“If Korea continues in the same direction it has been going, it will become a country like Japan. The current generation of Japanese youth is much poorer and without hope as compared to their parents’ generation. If we don’t prepare, it will happen to us too and to avoid that fate, we’re going to have to engage young people in programs based on the Korean Dream. This will then bring opportunity and prosperity particularly to the youth.”

“We stand at a watershed moment. There is a confluence of issues and circumstances that are moving the world and this peninsula in the direction of peaceful unification. All of you here who are gathered here who are owners of the Korean Dream, we seek to allow the Korean people to build their ideal nation that can be the inspiration for the global community. We live at that moment.”
– Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon

August 15, 2025, marks the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from colonial rule at the end of World War II. However, Korea is not free.

To the north, 25 million Koreans live without basic human rights under an oppressive regime that threatens regional and global security.

In the South, hyper-partisan divides have left the republic without a head of state while the economy plunges and the nation faces a negative population crisis of its own making as a super-aged society coupled with an average of less than one child born per household.

Yet, Dr. Hyun Jin Moon remains optimistic. For decades, he has called for the Korean people to own the Korean Dream, a vision for a unified Korea rooted in the ancient ethos of Hongik Ingan, what Dr. Moon calls their “providential destiny” to live for the benefit of all humanity.

Based on this vision, Dr. Moon has been instrumental in spearheading the largest civil society coalition for Korean reunification, Action for Korea United (AKU).

He believes now is the time for the Korean Dream to become a reality.

In the current climate of the peninsula, the call rings true.

In South Korea there is an urgency to put aside superficial political, regional, clan differences, to dream together, rise up as a people and nation based on their shared heritage and their spiritual calling to bring hope and new insights for this age in a way that will benefit all humanity.  They would fulfill their mandate to be, in the words of Indian Nobel Lauriat, Rabindranath Tagore, “lamp bearers” to the world.  The Korean Dream goes beyond the peninsula. It has global resonance as a dream to live as a free people who can bring peace and prosperity to the homeland, the region, and the world.

However, the Korean Dream requires the participation of every Korean; people who can own the vision and are willing to put their lives on the line to pursue this noble aspiration, to push back on the dark clouds of the current challenges to assert, “We will make a new and better way.”

Mansei demonstration on March 1, 1919 (Author: 한국사진사연구소 Source : 공유마당)

It is something the Korean ancestors attempted to do over a hundred years ago. In many painful but instructive ways, Korea has been prepared for this moment.

Hongik Ingan is engrained in their ethos, etched in the veins of their history, and preserved in their family traditions.

An adage repeated in the corner Taekwondo dojangs, the neighborhood classrooms, churches and households are phrases like “필승! (Pilsung!)” roughly translated as “We will absolutely bring victory”; “하면된다! (Hamyeun dwenda!) ”roughly translated as “Just do it! You can find a way”; and “불굴의 정신 (bulgul eh chongshin)” translated as “Indomitable Spirit.” The Koreans know how to dream and the people know how to fight for that dream. We saw it throughout their history, especially during the Korean Independence Movement.

In the aftermath of World War I, despite the overwhelming lack of support from the international community and severe oppression at the hands of their colonizers, Koreans found a way to launch the first, non-violent, people-powered mass movement for independence in the world.

The 33 signers of the Korean Declaration of independence were resigned to be the martyrs of the nation. Leading the charge on March 1, 1919, to assert their God-given right to independence:

 “Having back of us 5,000 years of history and 20,000,000 of a united loyal people, we take this step to ensure to our children, for all time to come, personal liberty in accord with the awakening consciousness of this new era. This is the clear leading of God, the moving principle of the present age, the whole human race’s just claim.”

The Declaration launched a nationwide chain of protests that would be remembered as the “Mansei Movement.” Around 2 million Koreans, ten percent of the estimated population of Korea — men, women, girls, boys, from all classes and religions — participated in the non-violent protests. Koreans from the diaspora, especially in the United States, also joined to support from abroad and played a major role in fueling and even funding the independence efforts. TheKoreans put their lives on the line to declare their right to self-determination.

It was a collective cry of the Korean people. They envisioned a new Korea, a model nation rooted in universal principles that married the best of the West and East, the Western style democracy rooted in self-governance of a moral people paired with the rich heritage of Korea built on the Hongik Ingan spirit and the Korean traditional extended family and community foundation. Sparked by the promise for self-determination for all nations presented in U.S. President Woodrow Wilson’s infamous Fourteen Points, echoing the promise forged in words centuries ago in similar circumstances in 1776, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights…” This promise found resonance in the spiritual heritage and tradition of the Korean people.

Their ethos of Hongik Ingan urged them to rise up to assert a truth whose time has come. Their Declaration didn’t seek reparation from their colonizers but reconciliation and cooperation for mutual prosperity. The Korean people were resolved to live out their destiny and create a noble nation that fulfilled the Korean people’s mandate from heaven to become a people who would benefit all humanity.

The March 1, 1919 Mansei Movement (Samil Movement) was in a way a march to freedom, not just for the Koreans, but for all the people of the world. 

The reprimand that followed was harsh and the fight for independence wore on for nearly three more decades. Many perished with the cry of “Mansei” and a whisper of hope for freedom.

Finally, in 1945, Korea was liberated from Japan. However, as they emerged liberated on the heels of WWII, they met an even larger global conflict that had started. The peninsula was engulfed into the Cold War and torn apart between the larger global powers, without being able to create a new nation of Korea. Instead two Koreas formed and in 1950, North Korea attacked South Korea and a civil war ensued.

Families were torn apart, left separated for decades. Many have died without reconnecting with their lost loved ones. The armistice has frozen the conflict along the 38^th parallel, an open wound left bare for the world to witness.

From the tears and ashes of the Korean War, the Korean people in the Republic of Korea created the Miracle on the Han.

The Korean people can even take devastation and suffering and make it a source of strength. They are positioned to intimately understand the struggle of colonization, independence, totalitarianism, and materialism. And their experience drives them to seek something better.

The Korean Dream casts a framework for a nation that builds on the jewel of the Korean civilization: The Korean extended family. The extended Korean family has a specific honor and responsibility granted with their position in the family from the grandfather on father’s side, to the sister of the child of the great-grandchild on the mother’s side. This has cultivated within the Korean people a profound understanding of the unique and precious value of every life.

Korean Dreamers are rising in the South, amongst the diaspora, and even from the North Koreans.

The slow trickle of Koreans escaping from North Korea are offered freedom of conscience, movement and thought and a chance to have hope, love, life and dignity to live a meaningful life. Their plight and their flight bring to light a self-evident truth: the true source of inalienable rights and freedoms, is God, the Creator, and His sovereignty supersedes all human institutions.

The human soul cannot be held back once it comes in touch with this truth and captures a glimpse of what is possible: true freedom unbound from any human or human institution and that the human spirit will fight to live free, to flourish under the sovereignty of God.

This is a deliverance moment of providential proportions.

The fate of the Korean people, rests in their hands, in their choices: the choice to walk free from division, despotism, or even the unfettered rush for profit at the expense of our humanity and to dream together and build a promise land where all can live free.

Dr. Moon is daring Koreans to dream again, to call “Mansei,” for the Korean Dream and to leave behind the vestiges of aCold War era already closed, to have a vision to pull the people of the South out of the hyper-partisan divide to work together towards a new nation for all its people, and to dream big, dream together of a land of freedom, prosperity, andfulfill the enduring promise to live together as one family and benefit all humanity.

Won’t you come along?

“As faith has led in the discovery of the principles and values of the vision of One Family Under God, family is where we translate them into relationships. The family is sacred – the most basic human social unit where life begins and is nurtured, and where we form our primary relationships that define how we relate to ourselves and the world.”

Dr. Junsook Moon
Global Peace Convention, 2023

In the face of rapid urbanization, globalization, and the disintegration of traditional structures, families continue to play a fundamental role in nurturing moral and social growth. The African Renaissance Initiative, unveiled during the Global Peace Leadership Conference (GPLC) in Nairobi in June 2024, envisions a future where Africa’s rich cultural heritage serves as the foundation to drive a spiritual renewal that can serve as a model for the world.

The Family Track at the conference underscored the crucial role that families play in fostering ethical leadership, social cohesion, and peace. Faith leaders were recognized as essential partners in supporting parents in their critical roles in values education. Acknowledging this critical function, Global Peace Women (GPW) worked in collaboration with Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Kenya and other partners to launch The Parents’ Guide to Values Education in the Home Curriculum. This initiative aims to tackle the pressing moral and ethical challenges that children face while growing up in vulnerable environments.

Rooted in the values of Ubuntu, the curriculum highlights principles such as respect, compassion, responsibility, and integrity, which are core to African identity and values. It emphasizes the family as the foundational unit of society, where faith, culture, and tradition merge to shape character and build resilience. The guide provides practical tools for parents, caregivers, and faith leaders to initiate values-based education at home, including activities designed to support children’s moral, emotional, and social development.

This groundbreaking manual has been refined through two extensive review workshops held in Nairobi, Kenya, in November 2024 and January 2025. These workshops brought together faith leaders from Christian, Muslim, and Hindu communities, along with other curriculum developers, all of whom shared a commitment to value education as a tool to strengthen Kenyan families.

The curriculum draws on the strength of faith communities to address modern parenting challenges, such as absent parents, digital distractions, and the diminishing of cultural traditions. Encouraging the active involvement of both parents and extended family members seeks to restore the bonds that form the foundation of healthy, values-based societies.

More than just a manual, this guidebook represents a movement—a united effort to equip future generations with the moral and ethical foundations necessary for Africa’s transformation. By fostering collaboration and shared values, this initiative ensures that children will grow into individuals who embrace the principles of Ubuntu: collective responsibility, mutual care, and a belief in a common destiny.

Through this journey, the home becomes more than just a living space; it transforms into a learning environment where parents and caregivers are the first educators. The lessons of character and leadership imparted within these homes will shape Africa’s leaders of tomorrow. With this curriculum, Africa moves closer to realizing its renaissance—a continent where heritage and hope come together to build a prosperous and ethical future.

The original post appears on Global Peace Foundation. Global Peace Foundation is an international non-sectarian, non-partisan, nonprofit organization, which promotes an innovative, values-based approach to peacebuilding, guided by the vision of One Family under God. GPF engages and organizes a global network of public and private-sector partners who develop community, national, and regional peacebuilding models as the foundation for ethical and cohesive societies. Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon is the founder and chairman of the Global Peace Foundation.

South Korean news media outlet, Asia Today, published a three-part series based on a recent interview with Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon. Below is a summary overview of the main points from the articles for our English-language readers, including links to the original Korean language publication.

Dr. Moon addressed a range of topics with a special focus on the current political situation in South Korea. In the interview, he emphasized that the best path forward lies in a renewed commitment to the Korean Dream vision established at the founding of the Korean nation — to build a model nation that benefits all humanity.

In the first article, Dr. Moon reminds people that the Korean Independence Movement over a hundred years earlier hoped to fulfill the dream of a Korea that would combine the best of the East with the West in a modern Korean state. Yet, as a dream unfulfilled, Dr. Moon calls on Koreans and their friends around the world, particularly the youth, to be a part of building a peaceful, free, and united One Korea.

As 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from colonial rule on August 15, Dr. Moon encouraged people to go beyond partisan divides to work towards more positive change as can be seen in Action for Korea United (AKU), the nation’s largest civil society coalition working towards Korean reunification. AKU is is currently preparing to celebrate the 80th anniversary with its “10 Million Korean Dream Reunification Campaign” set for August 2025.

The second article covers Dr. Moon’s thoughts on South Korea and its hyperpartisan conflicts, which currently threatens the rule of law and separation of powers critical to democratic rule. He cautions that the world was watching South Korea and how they handled the current crisis.

The third article covers Dr. Moon’s hopes for positive change in spite of all the challenges. Drawing on his observations of the founding of the American Republic, he calls on Koreans to remember that political systems will not work without moral, ethical citizens.