The 2025 International Forum on One Korea received significant national attention and was featured prominently across Korea’s media networks. Many stories highlighted the forum’s vision for a free and unified Korea, coinciding with the historic commemoration of the 80th Liberation Day.

Hosted in Seoul, the Forum convened policymakers, scholars, civil society leaders, and youth to advance the Korean Dream and chart a path toward peaceful reunification. Complementing the forum, the 2025 Korean Dream Hangang Festa—held at Ttukseom Hangang Park—brought together thousands for a cultural celebration featuring music, performances, and messages of hope from global voices. These twin events inspired a new generation and underscored the growing momentum for a unified Korea.

The Korea Times: Address by Global Peace Foundation Chairman Hyun Jin Preston Moon at banquet marking Korea’s 80th Liberation Day

MK News: 드론쇼와 함께 한 ‘2025 코리안드림 한강대축제’

Joongang: 광복절 기념 ‘코리안드림 한강대축제’ 성료 [출처:중앙일보]

Economist: 시민 3만 명, 광복절 저녁 드론쇼에 ‘코리안드림’ 띄우다

Munhwa: 하늘 위 1200대 드론, 통일 염원 그렸다

News 1: ‘코리안드림 한강대축제’ 대규모 불꽃쇼

News 1: 광복 80주년 기념한 ‘코리안드림 한강대축제’

Asia Today: 80주년 광복절 기념 ‘2025 코리안드림 한강대축제’ 개최

Herald Economy: ‘케데헌’ 까치호랑이, 한강 하늘서 ‘통일’ 외치자, 3만명 열광·환호·합창[함영훈의 멋·맛·쉼]

Sports Trends: 시민 3만 명, 드론쇼에 ‘코리안드림’ 띄우다

Newsis: 2025 코리안드림 한강대축제 드론쇼

Yonhap News: [K스토리] 광복 80년, ‘코리안드림’으로 하나 된 축제

Dong-A News: 광복 80주년 3만 시민 한강서 ‘통일’ 외쳤다‘2025 코리안드림 한강대축제’ 개최… ‘케데헌 까치호랑이’ 드론쇼 밤하늘 수놓아

Asia Today: [전문] 문현진 글로벌피스재단 세계의장, ‘광복80주년기념만찬’ 기조연설문

Asia Today: 문현진 글로벌피스재단 의장 “통일부 대신 비정부기관…일관된 방향성 중요”

Munhwa: “통일은 제2의 ‘한강의 기적’… 젊은이들에 큰 기회될 것”

World Daily: 한강 밤하늘에 드론 1200대 떴다…“통일은 통합의 지평”

Nate News: 한강 밤하늘에 드론 1200대 떴다…”통일은 통합의 지평”

Nate News: ‘케데헌’ 까치호랑이, 한강 하늘서 ‘통일’ 외치자, 3만명 열광·환호·합창[함영훈의 멋·맛·쉼]

Chosun: 뚝섬 한강서 드론 1200대 투입 ‘2025 코리안드림 한강대축제’

“It is imperative that reunification is guided by a unifying vision that affirms the shared heritage and destiny of the Korean people and that all Koreans around the world recognize that everyone has a part to play, big or small, in the final effort to create One Dream and One Korea.” —Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon

10th Anniversary Milestone

The 10th anniversary of the “New Era Unification Song Campaign” is being commemorated with a special release for the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation. The female vocal quartet “Son E Ji U” from Voice Korea is participating in the release of “Korean Dream, Come Shine, Glorious Light!” This marks a significant milestone for the Unification Music Project’s decade-long journey, with the song scheduled for public release at the “2025 Korean Dream Han River Festival” in August.

On June 13, 2025, a new song commemorating both the 80th anniversary of liberation and the 10th anniversary of the “New Era Unification Song Campaign” was unveiled at a press conference held at the Korea Press Center in Seoul. The event announced plans for the “2025 Korean Dream Han River Festival,” marking this historic anniversary.

The “New Era Unification Song Campaign” launched in 2015 to mark the 70th anniversary of liberation as a culture-based citizen unification movement. Over the past decade, hundreds of stars across multiple genres—including ballad, R&B, trot, and EDM—have participated, featuring artists like BTS’s Jungkook, Peabo Bryson, Insooni, Im Chang-jung, and Jung Dong-ha.

The campaign’s flagship song, “One Dream One Korea,” released in 2015, gained particular significance when it served as the farewell song for the 2018 Inter-Korean Summit and was subsequently included in middle school music textbooks, generating widespread attention.

This year’s commemorative release, “Korean Dream, Come Shine, Glorious Light!” embodies the national aspiration for peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula. The song represents the pinnacle of unification music, where classical and vocal elements converge.

Production Team:

• Producer: Hong Dae-sung, renowned film music composer known for works including “The War Against Crime,” “The Attorney,” and “The Insiders”

• Vocalists: “Son E Ji U” (Son Seung-yeon, Lee Yeo-jun, Ji Se-hee, and Yoo Seong-eun) – Voice Korea alumni

• Orchestra: Seoul Grand Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Seo Hoon

Hong Dae-sung successfully translated the weighty theme of unification into a piece that resonates with the general public. The “Son E Ji U” quartet consists of female vocalists with exceptional vocal power who achieved first place and top-four finishes across seasons 1-4 of “Voice Korea.” Each member brings distinct vocal tones and styles that harmoniously express the longing for unification.

Director Hong Dae-sung explained his approach: “I wanted to convey the theme of unification in a way that everyone could relate to emotionally. Music is a language that opens hearts, and I hope this song becomes the starting point for creating a unified voice of hope for unification that transcends borders and generations.”

Lee Yeo-jun, Yoo Seong-eun, and Ji Se-hee, who attended the press conference, shared their sentiments: “We feel deeply honored to sing this commemorative song on this historic occasion marking the 80th anniversary of liberation and the 10th anniversary of the campaign. We hope this song will be sung by many people at various events, and that their collective aspirations will help bring about reunification as soon as possible.”

“Korean Dream, Come Shine, Glorious Light!” will be performed by the Seoul Grand Philharmonic Orchestra on August 15 at the 2025 Korean Dream Han River Festival, commemorating the 80th anniversary of liberation.

The “2025 Korean Dream Han River Festival” is a citizen-participatory unification cultural festival taking place on August 15 at Ttukseom Han River Park in Seoul. Marking both the 80th anniversary of liberation and division, the festival carries the message of national unity and peaceful unification.

Festival Highlights:

• Programs designed for all generations

• Choir featuring over 1,000 citizens

• Large-scale drone art show with over 1,200 drones expressing the desire for reunification

• Various cultural performances celebrating Korean unity

“It is a moral imperative that we work, in whatever capacity we are able, to realize unification that embodies the aspirations of the 1919 independence movement and the hope of 1945—bringing closure to a division that has lingered from the last century.” —Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon

A participant shares her personal experience as the “next Korean miracle” begins to take shape at the International Forum on One Korea.

Have you ever witnessed a miracle?

I’m at the International Forum for One Korea.

If I counted, I would have to use two hands, maybe three to keep track of the number of times I heard that Korea is the place of miracles.

One in particular mentioned is the “Miracle of the Han River.”

In 50 years, from the end of the Korean War to the early 2000s, Korea went through unprecedented economic growth, technological development, and improvements in life expectancy and child mortality. By 2010, Korea entered the ranks of G20 nations. Today it is ranked number 13 among the economies of the world and is the only nation that has turned from an aid-recipient to an aid-giving nation.

My first time in Korea was a year after the Seoul Olympics in 1989. It was starkly different. Many of the skyscrapers that you see in Seoul today were either not even imagined or in the process of being built. The streets felt empty after the flurry of Olympic hype. I remember people selling leftover merch at subway entrances.

Today, I sat in one of the newer edifices, one of many that now line the Han River, hearing the call for the next Korean miracle.

Poetically, the forum was held in Yeido, an island nestled in the middle of the Han River and a financial and governing hub of Korea. Would I call it the start of the next Han River miracle?

Hon. Myung Su Lee commented on this serendipity, adding his observation that the Han River flows powerfully and peacefully because the waters run in the same direction.

What the Korean Dream movement, what Action for Korea United is doing, what Dr. Moon sparked when he wrote out the Korean Dream, is to set a point that allows us to look towards and move together.

I saw the power of a shared vision at work during the economic panel at the conference. As the panel of economists and scholars from diverse perspectives and approaches grappled with how possibly economic cooperation could contribute to reunification and regional peace, words were repeated—unity, humanity, peace, and vision. The situation in Korea is hard, the issues are complicated—the human rights crisis in North Korea, nuclear proliferation, the fraying social fabric, dropping birth rates and soaring unemployment in the South, but I learned that in crisis, you start by asking, “Where do we want to go?”

Dr. Moon outlined the “challenges,” that are set before Korea today: resolving the division of their homeland and rediscovering and reconnecting to their identity and destiny. It makes sense to start with fixing eyes upon a vision that speaks across time, that has propelled the Korean miracles to date. Dr. Moon is calling for such a sea change—but it takes each of us—yes, I’m getting behind the Korean Dream as well, to go in the same direction.

Korea is the land of miracles.

Hon. Seung Joo Baek, President of the War Memorial of Korea, listed a few:

• Regaining sovereignty at the close of World War II

• The unparalleled economic growth over the last 50 years,

• And the Miracle of democratization.

I think I am witnessing the next Korean Miracle—Miracle of the Han 2.0?—unfolding before my eyes. If the waters can flow together.

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.

Like the ancient Imjin River that flows unimpeded from North to South, the Korean people’s destiny toward unity cannot be permanently blocked by artificial barriers. The 1919 Sam Il movement showed us that 2 million Koreans can come together as one people, dreaming not just of independence but of a nation embodying Hongik Ingan—to broadly benefit all humanity. The rivers remember what politics have forgotten—that what divides Korea is recent and artificial, while what unites it spans five millennia.

Rivers of the North and South

Originating in the North, the Imjin River flows south, unencumbered by the military checkpoints, guard towers, and barbed wire fences of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The river then combines with the great Han River that flows through Seoul. By the time these waters reach the Yellow Sea, they have become a single, powerful flow.

The Imjin-Han River system operates as it has for millennia, long before the artificial division of 1945 that separated a people who share over 5,000 years of common history, language, and cultural traditions.

Just as the Imjin River’s waters merge seamlessly with the Han to form a stronger, more vibrant waterway, so too might the Korean people find their way back to unity despite nearly eight decades of separation and ideological differences.

Beyond Bitter History

For nearly 80 years, the Korean Peninsula has endured a painful division. Families were torn apart, ideologies hardened, and mutual suspicion became entrenched. The Korean War (1950-1953) claimed millions of lives and left physical and emotional scars that still affect both societies today.

Yet beneath this bitter history runs a deeper current of shared identity. The rivers remind us that what divides Koreans is recent and artificial, while what unites them is ancient and natural. When North and South Koreans meet in third countries, they discover their common humanity – the same language, songs, stories, and values, as well as shared ancestral traditions and ideals.

The Unfulfilled Promise of March 1st

The rivers’ journey toward unity echoes the unfulfilled aspirations of the March 1st Movement of 1919, when Koreans across the peninsula rose in peaceful protest against Japanese colonial rule. This watershed moment in Korean history represented the collective yearning for independence and self-determination, with millions of Koreans from all walks of life joining in nationwide demonstrations.

The Declaration of Independence, signed by 33 cultural and religious leaders representing different regions and faiths, articulated a vision for Korea that transcended mere national liberation. These leaders envisioned a nation founded on Hongik Ingan—the ancient Korean ideal of “broadly benefiting humanity.” This founding philosophy, dating back to the mythical establishment of Korea by Dangun in 2333 BCE, envisioned Korea as a nation that would contribute to the good of all humanity rather than pursue narrow self-interest.

Leaders like Ahn Chang-ho and Kim Gu—though differing in their specific approaches—shared this commitment to creating a Korea that would stand as a model nation built on principles of justice, equality, and service to humanity. Their vision was not merely of an independent Korea, but of a Korea that would help lead humanity toward greater harmony and prosperity.

The division of Korea in 1945 prevented this vision from being realized, as geopolitical interests once again superseded the Korean people’s aspirations. Yet like the persistent Imjin River that continues its southward journey despite obstacles, the ideals of Hongik Ingan remain alive in Korean consciousness, waiting for the day when a reunified Korea can finally embody them.

Building a New Nation Together

Reunification would not mean the simple absorption of one state by the other. The problems seen on both sides of the DMZ suggest that neither has all the answers. Rather, Dr. Hyun Jin Moon proposes the creation of a new nation through a process of rediscovering and learning from the ancient Korean values and the Hongik Ingan ideal.

Moreover, he suggests that a new Korean nation might embody a harmonious blend of complementary strengths: Northern resource wealth enhanced by Southern technological expertise; traditional Korean values enriched by globally-engaged innovation; and the resilience forged through hardship complemented by the prosperity built through engagement. This synergy would create something greater than either could achieve alone.

The Ocean Awaits

As the joined rivers ultimately flow into the vast Yellow Sea, they remind us that a reunited Korea would not exist in isolation but would take its place in the wider world. A peaceful, reunified Korean Peninsula would contribute significantly to regional stability and global prosperity.

Like those persistent waters finding their way to unity despite all obstacles, the Korean people may yet navigate the challenging rapids of reconciliation. When they do, they will discover that, like the rivers merging on their journey to the sea, they are stronger together than apart—their combined energies creating new possibilities that neither could achieve alone.

“The impact of the principled reunification of the Korean people, artificially divided for way too long, will be enormously significant. Not only will it benefit the peninsula and the East Asia region through greater peace, stability, and prosperity. It will be a light to the world, showing how even the most extreme division and conflict can be overcome.” -Dr. Hyun Jin P. Moon (2021 Global Peace Convention, Keynote Address)

The dream of a unified Korea is a moral and human calling shared by people across the world. From the halls of Japan’s National Diet to youth forums in Tanzania and Indonesia, a growing international chorus is calling for peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula. This global wave is not driven by governments but by students, activists, and citizens who believe that the division of Korea is not just a regional issue, but a human one.

Korea’s division after World War II left deep scars that still affect millions of families. But the movement to reunite the peninsula is now powered by a vision that transcends geopolitics—the belief that all people deserve peace, freedom, and dignity.

At the heart of global efforts for reunification lies the Korean Dream—a vision that draws on Korea’s ancient spiritual heritage to inspire a peaceful, values-based unification. This dream envisions a Korea rooted in its founding ideal of “Hongik Ingan”—to live for the benefit of all humanity—and positions reunification not as a political outcome, but as a moral awakening with global relevance. Supporting Korean reunification, then, becomes a step toward a more principled, peaceful world.

Around the globe, young people and civil society are making this dream their own, breathing new life into the call for peaceful reunification.

In Tanzania, the Korean Dream inspired a surge of grassroots engagement. Students, faith leaders, and youth organizations united under the One Korea Global Campaign, collecting thousands of signatures and sharing messages of solidarity. Through virtual conversations with Korean students and signature drives, Tanzanians reaffirmed a simple truth: peace in Korea is peace for the world.

As one Tanzanian student leader said, “We believe the reunification of Korea will be a symbol of hope for divided peoples everywhere.” Their efforts exemplify how shared values—not shared borders—are what truly connect us.

Meanwhile, in Tokyo, over 200 youth leaders from 25 countries gathered for the Japan Young Leaders Assembly, advocating for peace and reunification. The forum featured North Korean defectors, international scholars, and activists who encouraged youth to become “peace creators” in their own communities.

What stood out was the power of story—young leaders using digital media, art, and public speaking to share the message of reunification. Their participation showed that global youth are not bystanders but stakeholders in shaping a more peaceful East Asia.

One speaker noted, “This isn’t just about Korea—it’s about how the world handles division, conflict, and reconciliation.”

In Indonesia, 600 youth came together to reflect on Korea’s March 1st Movement—an early 20th-century struggle for independence that resonates with Indonesia’s own anti-colonial history. The virtual gathering wove together narratives of national identity, peace, and interfaith cooperation.

Indonesian speakers highlighted how principles like Pancasila—the country’s philosophical foundation—align with the Korean Dream’s emphasis on unity and human dignity. This cross-cultural connection deepens global empathy and commitment to Korea’s peaceful future.

Reunification is not just a Korean dream—it’s a global hope. From Africa to Asia and beyond, young people are answering the call for peace with clarity and conviction. Their message is clear: unity is possible when we act with courage, compassion, and shared purpose.

Original posts appear 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.

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.

The Korea Times published some of Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon’s comments on the current political situation in South Korea following the declaration of martial law and the subsequent impeachment of the current South Korean president. What follows are some key highlights from the article, which can be read in full here.

—

“South Korean people really need a wake-up call,” he said.

Moon claimed that South Korea is unprepared for the figurative coming winter due to the deep political polarization within the country.

“Those civilized well-functioning modern democratic republics are based on the Constitution run by ethical and moral people making objective decisions that benefit the country, not by hyper-partisan interest groups,” he said.

“A key weakness of the system of democracy was the tyranny of the majority. This is one of the reasons why the U.S. system has the Senate, an upper body, and the electoral college for the national elections. So, it is not pure democracy, very much like the Roman Republic where there are several stages of electoral processes. There, you have so-called people who are more well-educated that make big decisions for the sake of the nation.”

He added that recent developments in South Korea’s politics are highly concerning for this reason.

“It really disturbs me,” he said.

“There are questions whether the rule of law stands here and whether there is a judicial process. The are foundations of any democratic state, especially for a constitutional democracy. Not only Korean people are now questioning it, but also our allies around the world are, especially the U.S. Where is the future of South Korea?”

Moon urged that the unification of South and North Korea, along with his organization’s Korean Dream Movement, could provide a solution to the country’s current crisis.

“Unification is such a significant opportunity. It is a jackpot,” Moon said.

“It will bring all the necessary components to allow the South Korean economy to continue to grow. All Korean people, especially the young, will have opportunities for prosperity that their parents had never had.”

He also presented his economic projections, outlining the potential benefits if the two Koreas were to unify.

“Imagine you have an additional 25 million people added to the Korean economy, not including the diaspora,” he said.

“If unification happens, most of the diaspora around the world will come back to Korea as well. The population will be 80 million, 90 million. We are going to have a boost in terms of not only the domestic consumption market but also a tremendous amount of talent and capital.”

South Korea is now classified as a super-aged society, grappling with a record-low birthrate of just 0.72 last year.

Moon added that a unified Korea would attract a significant influx of foreign investment aimed at rebuilding its northern territory.

“A vast majority of funding for rebuilding North Korea will actually come from private sources. There is $30 trillion worth of capital looking for investment around the world. Most of our allies will support financially the unification of the two Koreas because the North poses a great security threat across the world.”

According to the Global Peace Foundation, the Korean Dream Movement is rooted in the revival of the spirit of “Hongik Ingan” — a principle that means “to broadly benefit humanity.” This was the founding ideal of the first Korean kingdom, Gojoseon. In the vision of a reunified Korea, it represents the creation of a powerful and prosperous nation with a positive influence on the global stage.

On September 28, 2024, the Korean Dream Grand March 2024 became the largest ever civil society gathering organized at Imjingak Peace Park, which is located near the Demilitarized Zone that divides North and South Korea.

The Grand March and the International Forum on One Korea were both part of the ongoing Korean Dream 10 Million Campaign, which seeks to galvanize worldwide attention and support for the cause of a peaceful, free, and united One Korea. The culminating event of the campaign is planned for the 80th commemoration of the National Day of Liberation of Korea on August 15, 2025.

English and Korean media coverage of the events, which were held in commemoration of Korea’s Foundation Day, can be found in the links below:

Panel: North Korean policy should be centered on unification, not denuclearization

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

Citizens rally near DMZ in support of Korean unification

Experts call for placing human rights at center of NK policy

Gov’t, civic groups, defectors unite for unification of 2 Koreas, global peace

Korean-language media coverage of the events:

[2024 코리안드림 통일실천대행진] “한반도 통일, 천만 시민의 꿈으로 만들자”

[원코리아 포럼] 한반도 평화·통일 ‘게임 체인저’…코리안 드림 외치다

[원코리아 포럼] “통일 위한 국제사회 지지…해외 동포 역할 절실”

[2024 코리안드림 통일실천대행진] 문현진 “우리가 코리안드림·평화통일의 주인…홍익인간 정신으로 통일 이루자”

[K스토리] 코리안드림천만캠페인 조직위 “시민의 힘으로 통일 이뤄야”

“북한은 감옥같아… 北 주민 의식주 넘어선 표현의 자유 누려야”

“통일을 시민의 힘으로”… 분단철책 에워싼 ‘3만여명의 굳센 염원’

2024 코리안드림 통일실천대행진 성료

[원코리아 포럼] “진실작전 통해 북한주민 변화 이끌어야”

[코리안드림 통일실천대행진]시민·탈북민 등 3만명 “통일 만세”…‘염원의 빛’ 드론 퍼포먼스로 대미

[원코리아 포럼] 문현진 의장 “국민 모두 ‘코리안 드림’ 주인”

[친절한 예인씨] 한반도의 평화와 통일을 위해! 2024 코리안드림 통일실천대행진 개최! #통일을실천하는사람들 | 행복한 아침 1457 회

“북한 주민, 외부 세계 많이 알아…진실 전파 더 노력해야”

[원코리아 포럼] “진실작전 통해 북한주민 변화 이끌어야”

United Press International covered the International Forum on One Korea held on September 27, 2024 in Seoul, Korea. A notable expert on the Korean peninsula noted an important strategic shift in U.S. policy, which had once been focused solely on the issue of denuclearization. You can read the original article on the UPI website here or here below:

By Darryl Coote

Sept. 27 (UPI) — The path to a denuclearized North Korea is through unification, according to a panel of peninsula policy experts.

Meeting in Seoul on Friday for the three-day International Forum on One Korea in Seoul, hosted by the Global Peace Foundation, a group of international experts discussed the potential for achieving a unified Korea.

David Maxwell, retired U.S. Army Special Forces colonel and Northeast Asian Security Affairs expert, began his speech by saying that the next U.S. president needs to adopt “a radical new North Korean policy,” calling for a shift from focusing on denuclearization to reunification of the Korean Peninsula.

“The only way to achieve a denuclearized Korean Peninsula,” Maxwell, the vice president of the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy and a senior fellow at the Global Peace Foundation, said, “is through unification — a unification that is led by the Korean people and supported by the international community.”

In Seoul for the three-day event, he added that though the previous approach over the last several decades of seeking denuclearization has produced little to no results while essentially ignoring the ultimate goal of reunification.

“For too long, our policies have focused on military deterrence, sanctions and diplomatic engagement. These are important, but they overlook a crucial element: a human rights upfront approach and the pursuit of a free and unified Korea,” he said.

Maxwell was quick to reaffirm his support of deterrence, pointing out that there have been recent successes in this regard, including the August 2023 security pacts signed by the leaders of the United States, South Korea and Japan, which express their countries’ support of “a unified Korean Peninsula that is free and at peace.”

Maxwell, a former military planner, said: “I would take those words of our presidents as something we should accomplish.”

And he added that though the task before them is daunting the current moment presents an opportunity to pursue unification from a human rights perspective.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un‘s abandonment this summer of unification as the nation’s goal, and turning ultimate blame on South Korea for its citizens’ suffering, has removed hope from those living in the North.

Now, Maxwell said, is the time for the United States and Japan, as well as civil society, to support South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s so-called 8.15 Unification Doctrine, he said.

“Our approach must prioritize human rights,” he said, stating that it is through Kim’s deprivation of human rights that he controls the North Korean people. “This is why our strategy must be built on exposing these abuses, on educating the Korean people in the North on their universal and unalienable human rights and empowering them to seek change.”

Kim Baek-san, president of the Global Peace Institute, similarly declared that the route to a denuclearized North Korea is a unified peninsula.

He said the previous decades-long pursuit of denuclearization has not worked and they cannot continue to make the same mistakes of its past.

Regime change in the North is needed, he said.

“Unless we change the regime itself, we cannot deal with the nuclear issue of North Korea. It’s about the system. It’s about human rights. It’s about freedom. It’s about the economy,” he said. “So we have to take a comprehensive approach to deal with all that matters; that should be our approach toward the nuclear issue in North Korea.”

A consensus on what reunification means needs to be established, he said, while suggesting Global Peace Foundation founder and chairman Hyun Jin Preston Moon’s vision for unification, known as the Korean Dream.

“The vision is first and foremost,” he said. “If we have a consensus on the vision … and then it will lead to unification itself.”

Lee Sung-yoon, a global fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, added that the goal of unification is not simply about fulfilling a philosophical idea, but needed to save lives.

North Korea was richer than South Korea until the early 1970s and is the only urbanized, industrialized country to experience famine in peacetime, he said, referring to the famine of the early 1990s that killed millions of North Koreans.

Seoul, he said, has the “moral obligation” to inform its own people as well as the North Koreans and the people of the wider world of this “inhuman policy of mass starvation,” he said.

They need to educate the North Korean people on the root cause of their prolonged hunger and that once unification is affected, overnight they will have the basic, universal rights to food, housing and life.

“Lives will be saved,” he added.

He said those on the left of the political spectrum have been preaching the right to express and freedom of speech, but Lee was frank when he said during the panel that these are not important. They need to be given food, he said.

“Liberation and unification are not just esoteric dreams,” he said. “They will save lives.”