“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.

Munhwa Ilbo, a South Korean daily newspaper, published a two-part series based on a recent interview with Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon. Below is a short summary of the series for our English-language readers as well as links to the original Korean articles.

The first article provides a summary profile of Dr. Moon and his global initiatives, including the founding of the Global Peace Foundation, a leader in the current civil society-led Korean Dream movement working for Korean reunification. “Korean Dream” is a term coined by Dr. Moon in 2011 as the vision established at the founding of the Korean nation to build a model nation that can benefit all humanity.

The second article features a question and answer section that explores Dr. Moon’s perspectives on the current political crisis in South Korea and his vision for its resolution through a civil society movement focused on Korean reunification.

Dr. Moon commented on the turmoil surrounding South Korean politics, created not only by President Yoon’s declaration of martial law in late 2024 but by the partisan politics that precipitated it as well as followed in its wake. Despite the current challenges in South Korea, Dr. Moon is optimistic and sees his grassroots, citizen-driven Korean Dream movement as critical to bringing about positive change on the Korean peninsula.

Dr. Moon expressly encouraged youth participation in the Korean Dream movement in its activities and programs. While historical discussions have often focused on the cost of reunification, such as those borne by West Germany following German unification, Dr. Moon emphasizes instead the significant opportunities and prosperity that a peaceful, free, and united Korea would attract to the region as a whole.

Rather than portraying reunification as a distant future possibility, Dr. Moon stresses that historical change often occurs unexpectedly and calls upon people from all walks of life to actively participate in making history. In particular, he spoke on the current “Korean Dream 10 Million Unification March” which is to be held on the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation this year. He commented, “We are preparing to make it a day of celebration not only for Koreans but also for the whole world.”

United Press International published an article on the mass citizens’ rally that commemorated Korean National Liberation Day in 2024 at Imjingak Peace Park as a show of solidarity with the North Korean people.

You can read the original article here or read it in full below:

Citizens rally for Korean unification, show solidarity with Koreans in the North

By Michael Marshall

Sept. 29 (UPI) — Tens of thousands of Koreans from across the South and the Korean diaspora marched and rallied Sunday for Korean unification and the freedom of the people in the North at the Imjingak Peace Park,about 47 miles from the DMZ.

The event was held to mark Korea’s National Foundation Day, officially celebrated on Thursday.

Billed as the 2024 Korean Dream Grand March for a Unified Korea, it was organized by Action for Korea United, the largest coalition of civil society groups supporting Korea’s unification in the country.

AKU has 17 regional chapters and has run hundreds of educational workshops in the Korean Dream philosophy of unification.

That philosophy was conceived by Hyun Jin Preston Moon, founder and chairman of Global Peace Foundation, a non-profit and co-sponsor of the March. He looks to Korea’s history — and a reconnection with its deep spiritual roots — to provide the glue that can unite diverse groups of Koreans around a common purpose.

He told a lively crowd they were at a “watershed in the history of our people” in which a “confluence of issues is moving Korea toward unification.”

He called upon the audience to help revive Korea’s ancient “high spiritual civilization” represented in the hongik ingan ideal linked to Korea’s founding, which means “living for the greater benefit of all humanity,” and the spirit of the March 1, 1919, Independence movement.

These mobilized around 20% of the population in peaceful, mass demonstrations, the first in modern times, against Japanese colonial rule.

Appealing to this legacy, Moon said, “We are a providential people with a mandate to serve humanity. Rise up and show the world who we are!”

He urged the government to re-establish the Ministry of Unification as a committee of scholars, experts, and civil society representatives to provide continuity and avoid the policy shifts that now came with changes of administration.

North Korean escapees were prominent among speakers and performers at the rally. Chol-hwanKang, author of “Aquariums of Pyongyang,” and founder and president of the North Korea Strategy Center in Seoul, noted that Sept. 28 was the anniversary of Seoul being “reclaimed” from the North Korean Army during the Korean War.

“Today, righteous citizens have gathered here for the freedom of Pyongyang, which is yet to be reclaimed,” he added.

The key was the emergence a unification-led movement in South Korea. He believed that the Korean Dream was a “historic unification vision that Koreans in both North and South could resonate with.”

“If the people of South Korea unite around this unification vision, the Kim regime will soon collapse,” he said.

Kang was sent to the notorious Yodok political prison camp at the age of nine with most of is family after his grandfather was accused of treason. He endured ten years there before his release and eventual escape from North Korea.

Ja-un Lee, lead actress in the docudrama, “Acorn,” which dramatized the experiences of North Korean escapees, fought back tears as she recounted her experience working with around 100 escapees who told and re-enacted their experiences.

“I realized how blessed I was to be born in South Korea and felt ashamed of my previous indifference to unification,” she said.

The singers, dancers, and musicians who performed at the rally were all North Korean escapees.

This event was planned as a precursor for 2025, the 80th year of Korea’s liberation after World War II, but also the start of Korea’s current division. AKU is planning large rallies across South Korea in support of unification, reviving the model of the March 1 Independence Movement demonstrations.

Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon has consistently advocated for Mongolia to play a role in facilitating critical discussions about Korean reunification and other regional issues, given its friendly diplomatic relations with both North and South Korea and the many lessons Mongolia has to offer from its peaceful transition out of communism.

The following is an unofficial English translation of excerpts from coverage of the 6th Mongolia Forum on Northeast Asia: Peaceful Development and Korean Unification. The forum focused on environmental concerns while exploring opportunities for regional cooperation, promoting a departure from the current trend towards traditional Cold War-style alliances. UPI coverage of the event can be found here.

Kim Young Jin from the Korean-language news organization Weekly Chosun provides a report on the forum, which is also available here on their website (in Korean).

Original article title: “Why is the ‘unification of the Korean Peninsula’ being discussed in Mongolia?”

As North Korea persists in launching waste balloons toward South Korea and ramping up ballistic missile provocations, tensions on the Korean Peninsula continue to escalate. On June 19, North Korea signed a ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty’ with Russia during President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Pyongyang. In light of these security threats, the ‘Mongolia Forum’ aimed at discussing peaceful development in Northeast Asia and the unification of the Korean Peninsula took place on July 9 at a hotel in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

The opening speaker emphasized the need to enhance the involvement of civil society organizations and engage the younger generation in the peaceful development of Northeast Asia. An important topic of discussion was the role of civil society in promoting the goal of a unified Korean Peninsula.

This sixth iteration of the forum was organized by ‘Blue Banner,’ a Mongolian NGO dedicated to denuclearization and co-hosted by the ‘Global Peace Foundation’ founded by Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon, along with the ‘One Korea Foundation’ and ‘Action for Korea United (AKU).’

Mongolia itself has experienced both division and regime change in its history. The country, often referred to as Outer Mongolia, was once divided into Outer and Inner Mongolia, with the latter incorporated into China as the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Outer Mongolia became independent from China with Soviet support and was the second communist nation after the Soviet Union. In the early 1990s, it transitioned to a democracy and market economy without bloodshed, making it an influential case study for discussions on unification.

Mongolia maintains diplomatic relations with both North and South Korea, fostering traditional friendships with the North and a ‘strategic partnership’ with the South, celebrating 34 years of diplomatic relations this year. Geopolitically positioned between powerful nations like Russia and China, Mongolia pursues a policy of neutrality and balanced diplomacy.

As a ‘nuclear-weapon-free zone,’ Mongolia is not only devoid of nuclear weapons but also prohibits their use. The UN General Assembly designated it as such in 1992, and its denuclearization was reaffirmed by a UN resolution in 1998. In 2012, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council confirmed its status, solidifying Mongolia as a denuclearized country. Speakers emphasized the potential for Mongolia, with its experience in establishing a nuclear weapon-free zone, to serve as a model for Korea’s denuclearization.

At the forum, the first joint declaration summarizing discussions was unveiled, which includes commitments to promote the Mongolia Forum to build consensus around civil society goals and to establish regional mechanisms in Northeast Asia for cross-border initiatives like the Greater Tuman River Development Initiative(GTI). It also calls for realizing the Korean Peninsula’s political, economic, and cultural potential to support establishing a free and unified Korea in accordance with the Hongik Ingan philosophy, alongside efforts to enhance soft power cooperation across Asia through initiatives such as tree-planting campaigns to combat desertification in Mongolia. The declaration also aims to empower youth through the Global Peace Leadership Corps to act as significant contributors to the international community.

David Caprara, a strategic advisor at the Global Peace Foundation, noted to reporters that a mention of a ‘new clean energy platform’ was added to the declaration, which was not included in the initial draft.

Discussion also arose about the feasibility of ‘peaceful unification.’ In-taek Seo, the standing representative of Action for Korea United, noted that worsening conditions on the Korean Peninsula might actually create favorable circumstances for unification. He highlighted “anomalous signs predicting a crisis in the North Korean system,” drawing parallels to the unification of East and West Germany, which resulted from decisions made by the populace. Seo concluded that achieving a consensus on the vision for unification in South Korean society is crucial for preparing for future unification.

The ‘Camp David Declaration’ agreed upon by the leaders of Korea, the United States, and Japan last August included a commitment to ‘support a free and peaceful unified Korean Peninsula.’ With the possibility of a government change in the U.S. ahead of the presidential election, questions arise as to whether this declaration will be upheld with one speaker commenting, “When a president changes, previous policies often get overturned, but there is a chance that a new administration may continue the Camp David Declaration if it is found beneficial to the administration.”

On October 3, Korea’s Foundation Day, more than 20,000 people gathered in Yeouido with groups waving red placards declaring, “Unification is our strength,” and blue placards with the phrase “Unification through people power” written across them.

In the morning, the sky was overcast with clouds, but later in the afternoon, the sun appeared. As we walked along the Han River, enjoying the smell of the grass, we came to Yeouido Park. We saw the Korean flag stretched across the sky as we entered the cultural center where the 2023 Korean Dream Unification Festival was held.

Praying for reunification in the spirit of Taekwondo

Around 2 p.m., we could hear loud shouts in the distance. It was the sounds of more than 1,000 demonstrators from the ‘Taekwondo Ship Taekwondo Hero Corps’ participating in a Taekwondo-themed flash mob event (flash mob: a crowd that gathers at a location and performs coordinated shows for a short period before dispersing). The crowd performed spinning kicks. They incorporated exciting songs along with Taekwondo’s signature movements. The whole show was a colorful spectacle.

The audience roared as they enjoyed the 20-minute Taekwondo demonstration. Periodically, international travelers thrilled with the performance shouted, gave a thumbs-up, and exclaimed, “Wonderful!”

Lee Young-man, an office worker at the event, shared, “This was my first time watching a Taekwondo demonstration, and it was exciting – not stiff or solemn,” he said, adding, “I hope that the spirit of Taekwondo will unite the North and South and that our wish for unification will be fulfilled as soon as possible.”

In addition to the Taekwondo flash mob, there were K-POP cover dances, competitions, a photo and video archives exhibition of the Korean Dream movement, and the Eurasian Peace Fellowship pavilion.

A Citizens’ Organizing Committee member for the Korean Dream 10 Million Campaign for the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of Korea observed, “Unlike the older generations, Korean youth tend to think that unification is unnecessary. It is a problem that the younger generation does not recognize the importance of unification. As such, we planned a program that would appeal to the youth and draw their interest while teaching the importance and necessity of unification.”

Kim Byung-chan, the host of the 2023 Korean Dream Unification Action Festa, opened by playing the national anthem to announce the event’s start. As the national anthem played, flags with the phrase “Korean Dream” and the Korean flag fluttered across the sky. The event commemorated the 4,355th anniversary of Korea’s founding, making it all the more meaningful.

The Korean Dream is the Second Samil Movement

The event was organized as part of the Korean Dream, a new movement to contribute to world peace based on the Hongik Ingan spirit, a running thread throughout the nation’s history and culture. The goal is to create a unified nation that can contribute to world peace.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government organized the event with a committee of eight unification and civil society organizations. The committee included Action for Korea United, Korea Senior Citizens Association, Korea Veterans Association, Korea Federation of Arts and Cultural Organizations, Ten Thousand Mountain Families Committee, Scent of Reflection, Korea Federation of Free Associations, and the Korean Federation of Unification Leaders.

The 2025 Korean Dream 10 Million Campaign is a citizen-led effort to achieve peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula in 2025, the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation.

A hundred years earlier, two million Koreans demonstrated to the world the legitimacy of their efforts for independence through the Samil Movement. Likewise, the Campaign aims to develop a “Second Samil Movement” based on the Korean Dream again to demonstrate the legitimacy of the Korean Peninsula’s reunification and draw the international community’s sympathy and support.

To this end, the organizers plan to mobilize 100,000 citizens this year, followed by 1 million in 2024 and 10 million in 2025. In addition, by 2025, plans are underway to conduct a 10 million citizens walking campaign, the Korean Dream Volunteer Festival, and the August 15^th Grand Festival to engage the participation of the 8.5 million overseas Koreans.

A variety of events will be held to unite the country. Along with the domestic campaign, the organizers are also conducting an international campaign to raise global awareness of the massive unification movement.

The “Korean Dream Expedition” launched in March and traveled to more than 85 cities in 29 countries for 137 days, spreading the vision of the Korean Dream.

The 2023 Korean Dream Unification Action Festa culminated with a keynote address by Dr. Hyun Jin Moon, Chairman of the Global Peace Foundation. As Moon took the podium, he repeatedly shouted, “Aju! Aju!” Aju combines the Chinese characters a (我), meaning ‘I,’ and ju (主), meaning ‘owner.’

Instead of reading a prepared speech, Dr. Moon walked among the event participants, interacting with them, making eye contact, and inviting them to say “Aju.” In promoting the idea of Aju, Dr. Moon encouraged citizens to see that – rather than relying on governments or political leaders – a new Korean nation would only be realized when individual citizens desired unification enough to take up their initiatives to support it.

“Ten years ago, when we said we would build a grassroots unification movement centered on citizens, Korea was divided between the left and the right, even along religious lines such as Christianity and Buddhism. At the time, they said that a grassroots unification movement was impossible under these circumstances. But today, so many people have gathered here. So many people have come together today – across differences – and this is powerful evidence that our dream of unification can be realized. The most important thing in the unification movement is the spirit of ownership. Let’s chant “Aju,” which means I am the owner. Aju!”

Unification with the spirit of Aju and the spirit of Hongik Ingan

Dr. Moon intertwined the spirit of Aju with the spirit of Hongik Ingan, the founding ideal of the Korean nation to “benefit all humanity,” and emphasized that we should start with ourselves and let others know the value of unification.

He emphasized the spirit of Hongik Ingan, a national identity and providential mandate that can unite all Koreans, including North Koreans. Dr. Moon observed, “The most important thing in this grassroots movement for unification is the ownership over the Korean Dream vision by the Korean people themselves. If you become the owner and through whatever foundation you have, you spread this message and wake other Koreans up, then this will grow like wildfire.”

Dr. Moon delivered his speech in English and emphasized the importance of global solidarity. He said, “If I were to speak only in Korean about Korean Unification, how can we have foreigners listen, and how can we inspire foreigners to help us be a part of this movement? The Korean Dream is not just a dream to inspire Koreans; it can inspire the entire world.”

In response to the idea that we should “teach children about the importance of the Unification,” Mr. Cho Young-hwan, a citizen who attended, said, “I’m a history teacher, so I heard that this is an event that tells the growing generation the meaning of the unification of the Korean Peninsula. I drove in the rain early in the morning to attend the event. While attending the event, I vowed to realize the peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula with my children.”

The 2023 Korean Dream Unification Action Festa was held on October 3, 2023,  at the Yeouido Park Cultural Courtyard in Seoul, October 7 at KBS Changwon Hall in Gyeongnam; October 9 at the Hanbitop Square in Daejeon; October 14^th at the Busan Station Square, Busan, Korea, Oryunmun Square, 14^th at the Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do, 5-18 Minjungwang, in Gwangju;  October 22nd at  Deokjin Park in  Jeonju; and on October 28^th at the Orong Outdoor Music Center in Daegu.

The organizers estimate that more than 100,000 people attended the events nationwide. One representative commented, “This event confirmed the potential of the Korean Dream and the unification movement. We are grateful for the citizens’ active participation throughout all the events.”

The following is an unofficial translation of excerpts from the special, which was written by Hye-Yeon Jung. This section was focused on the 2023 International Forum on One Korea held in Seoul, Korea.

North Korea’s nuclear tests and the possibility of a new Cold War have raised tensions on the Korean Peninsula to an unprecedented level. The hegemonic rivalry between the U.S. and China continues with the Trump Administration’s March 2018 trade war with China, which began with the Trump Administration in March 2018. Still, the policies have continued to impact relations well into the Biden Administration.

In the meantime, North Korea and Russia held a summit on September 12th and began close military cooperation. The Russian-Ukrainian war, which broke out in February 2022, only added to the geopolitical divides. This has resulted in the stance that “The fervor for the reunification of the Korean Peninsula, both domestically and internationally, has stalled.”

In response, the Global Peace Foundation (GFP), Action for Korea United (AKU), and the One Korea Foundation held the 2023 One Korea International Forum on One Korea on October 2nd, 2023.  The AKU Professors Association, Alliance for Korea United USA, Blue Banner, and the Asia Research Institute supported and participated in the forum. The International Forum on One Korea was founded in July 2016 at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. The first forum was held in July 2016 as an international forum on trade and the Korean Peninsula, and it has since been held for eight consecutive years, a total of 15 times.

The forum has also continued to make policy recommendations, including arguing that the top priority for policy on the Korean Peninsula should be revised to prioritize peaceful reunification over a singular focus on denuclearization. The forum was held in the Fairmont Ambassador Hotel Grand Ballroom in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, where experts convened to discuss these and other opinions.

The experts focused mainly on the Camp David Summit. This Summit was attended by President Seok Yul Yoon, U.S. President Joe Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on August 18, 2023, at Camp David, the U.S. presidential residence near Washington, DC. During the Summit, they declared, “We support a free, peaceful, and unified Korean Peninsula.” Forum participants highlighted the significance of this declaration and the need for a strategic roadmap for a unified Korean Peninsula. They also covered issues related to the reunification of the Korean Peninsula, such as peace, security, and a unified economy. An event organizer noted, “It is significant that this forum was held after the Camp David Summit.”

In the first session, the GPF Chairman, Dr. Hyun Jin Moon, the GPF International President, Jim Flynn, National Assembly Speaker Jin Pyo Kim, National Assembly Member Myoung Su Lee, and National Assembly Member Dong Su Seok delivered opening remarks.

Others at the forum included Mr. Jin Pyo Kim, Speaker of the National Assembly; Mr. Myoung Su Lee, Member of the National Assembly; Mr. Dong Hyeon Seok, Secretary General of the ROK Peaceful Unification Advisory Council; Mr. Edwin Feulner, founder and former president of Heritage Foundation; Seung Ju Paik, Chairman of the War Memorial Association (former Deputy Secretary of Defense); Four-star General (Ret.) John Harold Tilelli Jr. (Chairman of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation), and more than 100 others. The five-hour forum was highlighted by notable and keynote speeches. You can watch the event on YouTube’s “Action for Korea United” channel.

The forum was held under the theme “Free and Unified Korea: A Catalyst for Regional and Global Peace and Development.”

Realizing Korean Identity: A Providential Mandate

In his opening remarks, Chairman Chung Hwan Kim observed, “We must discuss a new direction for peace in Northeast Asia and the world based on the peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula. President Jim Flynn emphasized, “This forum is held amid this incredibly complex international situation, including the North Korean nuclear issue, which points to the critical importance of this forum.”

In his congratulatory remarks, Chairman Jin Pyo Kim noted, “In the past, President Dae-Jung Kim emphasized that our destiny depends on diplomacy and international cooperation so that peace can be established on the Korean Peninsula.”

Representative Myoung Su Lee said, “I hope that through discussions at this forum, we can solve our international security challenges while simultaneously creating the opportunity to advance a new flow of history.” He said, “The Korean Dream is the only alternative to achieving both peace on the Korean Peninsula and global peace.”

Mr. Dong Hyeon Seok, Secretary General of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, declared, “To realize the peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula, we need the support and cooperation of not only the governments of North and South Korea but also the international community. In the private sector, we also require the efforts and enthusiasm of scholars, experts, and civil society activists.”

In his video congratulatory remarks, Edwin Feulner, founder of the Heritage Foundation, said, “In an increasingly turbulent international political situation, this forum is very significant.”

Following the opening ceremony, in the Plenary Session, Mr. Seung Ju Baek, Chairman of the War Memorial Association of Korea, observed, “We need to be wary of discussing the obstacles to unification,” he said. “There are some who raise concerns that: “If unification happens, we will be worse off” or “it will lead to instability,” “Unification will be difficult because neighboring countries oppose it” And, “It will cost a lot of money in the process of unification.” These ideas have led to an anti-unification sentiment. We must and can overcome this focus on the obstacles to unification,” he said. “This forum and the AKU Movement will play a crucial role in dispelling this narrative.”

‘Korean Dream’ is the Key to Realizing Korean Unification

Next, GPF Chairman Dr. Hyun Jin Moon delivered the keynote speech. In it, he said, “Koreans today have two major, interconnected challenges. One is the re-unification of our traditional homeland. The second challenge is for free Koreans to rediscover their Korean identity and reconnect with the destiny we are called to achieve.” He explained that the second challenge was the “precondition for overcoming the first challenge.” [Noting that Koreans are part of one family,] he asked, “How can we enjoy the blessings of prosperity when our brothers and sisters suffer?”

Dr. Moon also spoke about how he came to start the Korean Dream Movement. He shared,

I launched the Korean Dream movement to offer a vision for the present age that connects with Korea’s founding ideals, manifested in the noble aspirations and sacrifice of the Sam Il Independence movement.

Reunification based on the Korean Dream framework will restore basic human rights and freedoms to the DPRK and bring peace and security to the Peninsula. In addition, it will create long-term economic benefits. A dream needs a movement of committed, united people to become a reality. Action for Korea United is where such people are gathered together.

This forum and tomorrow’s public rally are the first stages of a campaign to spread the Korean Dream among the Korean people everywhere. It will culminate in 2025, on they of Korea’s independence from Japanese colonial rule, when our people—for the first time— 80th anniversarcould fulfill the Sam Il aspirations of creating an ideal nation in line with Hong-Ik Ingan.

The Korean Dream can unite all Koreans. It is where we will find and fulfill the unique national destiny to which we are all called as a people. This goal needs the support of dedicated activists and thought leaders such as yourselves. I urge you to become the true owners of the Korean Dream.

One Korea Forum Concludes 2023 Global Peace Convention Track on Peace, Security and Human Rights

Since its founding in 2009, the Global Peace Foundation has advanced an approach to reunification that empowers the Korean people, brings focus to the human rights abuses and security threats posed by the North Korean regime, and sets forth a vision of a free, united, and prosperous Korea that reflects the Korean people’s shared history, values, and traditions.

GPF has hosted dozens of International Forums on One Korea, convened in the ROK National Assembly, the U.S. Congress, the Great Hurl in Mongolia, and capital cities in Europe, Africa, and Latin America.

GPF has also organized rallies, K-pop concerts, seminars, and working groups in Korea and globally to build grassroots support for reunification.

The International Forum on One Korea on December 12, hosted as part of the 2023 Global Peace Convention in Manila, marked the conclusion of previous sessions on Korean security and human rights issues hosted virtually in November and December.

Jose Luis Yulo Jr., president of the Chamber of Commerce of the Philippine Islands

Addressing the International Forum in Manila, Jose Luis Yulo Jr., president of the Chamber of Commerce of the Philippine Islands and former president and CEO of the Philippine Stock Exchange, brought attention to the convergence of ideas in three recent publications: the 2014 book Korean Dream: Vision for a Unified Korea by GPF Chairman Dr. Hyun Jin P. Moon; 2030: One World, One Community, One Family, by the former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos; and “Five Pillars for Navigating the Future,” a recent pamphlet by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce.

“They all agree that unity, freedom and peace are the precursors of economic development,” he said. Can peace or economic development exist without freedom? Spiritual well-being, emotional well-being, health well-being, mental well-being, and finally material well-being—economic development—can all happen if we have unity, freedom, and peace.”

Dr. Nicholas Eberstadt, Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute

Economic prospects of reunification

Addressing the stark failure of the North Korean regime to minimally manage its economy and the many misconceptions relating to the economic burdens of reunification, Dr. Nicholas Eberstadt, Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute, said North Korea ranks among the biggest economic losers in the post-war era.

North Korea, he said, is now subsisting on unreported barter, economic piracy, aid capturing, and Hobbesian entrepreneurship. “Should we really be surprised that the government with the world’s worst practices and policies also had the worst economic results in the world? Business climate matters.”

Answering the many daunting projections about the costs and burdens of reunification, Dr. Eberstadt presented an in-depth analysis of the economic implications of reunification, which he summarized in four points:

First, the longer reunification is postponed, the wider the gap between north and south, the bigger the task and the longer it will take. Second, North Korea’s present poverty is the entirely predictable consequence of three generations of extraordinary misrule by a worst-in-class dictatorship. Third, the economic reconstruction of Northern Korea will be an immense project. But if the returns on investment in this project are high, the project can basically pay for itself in the long run. And fourth, thanks to generation after generation of market-led modern economic development, both South Korea and the world as a whole are richer and more productive than ever before, better poised to mobilize and deploy the immense amounts of capital and know-how a successful Korean reunification will require.

Dr. Chong-Soo Park, former chairman of the Presidential Committee on Northern Economic Cooperation Through Economic Development

Dr. Chong-Soo Park, former chairman of the Presidential Committee on Northern Economic Cooperation Through Economic Development, warned that unification reached without preparation will become a disaster.

He said he proposed creating an international free-economic zone on the North Korea, China, and Russian border, which the United Nations had supported since 1991. All three countries have support this initiative, but western countries have largely been absent. He urged the UN to take an active role in supporting wider participation in such an economic zone. “Such an initiative can support the role of the UN and restore peace not only in Northeast Asia but also in the world,” Dr. Park said.

A new Korean nation

GPF Chairman Dr. Hyun Jin Moon, addressing the forum extemporaneously, reflected on the ideals of the 1919 Korean Independence Movement that established a precedent for freedom and self-determination of colonized peoples in the twentieth century. He said those ideals, based on the traditional Korean ethos of Hongik Ingan, or “living for the benefit of humanity,” were especially relevant today, “where the world is fragmenting into its own little spheres, dredging up old animosities, hatred, bitterness, a sense of victimized and victimizers.”

GPF Chairman Dr. Hyun Jin P. Moon

He also questioned the assumptions of the unification paradigm of a modern, cosmopolitan South absorbing the impoverished, soul-crushing North.

“I beg to differ in terms of the reality of the South,” he said. The Korean economy and its social demographics, and the chaebol system [of family-owned conglomerates] that stifles innovation, is not sustainable, the GPF chairman said. South Korea has the highest unemployment rate among the developed nations, he noted. With one of the best educated, most highly sophisticated and technical workforces, it reflects the weakness of the current system.

“That is why I was never a proponent of South Korea eating up North Korea and bringing it under the South Korean fold,” Dr. Moon remarked. “No, the Korean Dream unification framework is the creation of a new nation because we recognize, with eyes open, that both systems are flawed; and that we as Koreans, if we have a dream that we can share and dream together, can really create a new nation that is better than the sum of the two parts. That is what the Korean dream is about.”

The International Forum on One Korea was co-convened by the Global Peace Foundation, the One Korea Foundation. Blue Banner, Action for Korea United, and the Asia Institute.

The Global Peace Convention is a bi-annual convening of the Global Peace Foundation. Peace and Security was among eight tracks presented virtually and in-person from November 1-December 14, concluding with an in-person convening in Manila, the Philippines.

Learn more about the 2023 Global Peace Convention and GPF’s One Korea Global Campaign.

On October 2, 2023, the International Forum on One Korea took place in Seoul, South Korea, followed by the Korea United Festa at Yeouido Park on October 3, marking Korea’s Foundation Day. This pivotal event brought together global leaders, scholars, and advocates to discuss the vision of a unified Korea and the aspirations driving the Korean Dream.

Keynote speaker Dr. Hyun Jin P. Moon discussed the Korean Dream, a vision rooted in 5,000 years of Korean history, and emphasized the critical moment for Korean reunification based on the ideal of Hongik Ingan, meaning a country that will benefit all humankind.

Watch highlights from the October 2-3, 2023 events below: