We called it the Unification Tree. A simple paper tree that started the day with branches empty, but began to “sprout” leaves as passersby jotted down their thoughts and hopes for Korean Unification.

One leaf had “Our hope for unification” the title of an old song that lamented the prolonged division of our people. Another had “for our nation,” expressing the shared heritage of the Korean people as one nation.

One leaf in particular sprouted a realization in my mind. Most of the leaves were written in Hangul or English, this one stood out because it was written in Japanese. I remember the couple that had stopped by to post this leaf; she was Korean and he was Japanese.

We were told that the tree was for people to express their thoughts on the issue of unification, however, he wanted to write something about improving relations between Japan and Korea.

I had to pause. How was Japan-Korean relations related to the issue of reunification? Did Japanese have a stake in the fate of the Korean peninsula?

I looked at their faces, awkwardly grinning as my thoughts processed. Finally I consented, and he wrote his wish for the unification of Japanese and Koreans.

In hindsight, this leaf represented much more than just the unification Japan and Korea.

Of course, there is the obvious conclusion – Korean Unification is a concern of not just the Korean people, but of many people who care about the nation, but also have a stake in the stability of Northeast Asia – Russia, China, Japan, the United States….

But there was a deeper realization that that leaf opened in my consciousness – that the effects of Korean unification would impact not just the Korean people, or even Northeast Asia, it would be setting a model, a precedent for the world. If we could get this unification thing right, there were so many divisions that needed to be overcome – the animosity between Japan and Korea being one of them.

The approach presented in the Korean Dream, by Dr. Moon made more sense, too. For people who have been divided for so long, and by so much pain, a common vision, a common heritage that precedes that division, would probably be the only way for them to move beyond those barriers.

In the end, I was glad I consented to allow the Japanese man’s hopes for his nation and the nation of his significant other to join the other leaves on the unification tree.

It expanded my understanding of “unification” and also how much Korean unification could do for the world.

~This piece is based off of a testimony of a youth volunteer who participated in a summer leadership exchange program in Korea promoting Korean reunification.

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Being a man of faith I believed that destiny is rooted in providence for this very nation of Korea. I hope that we as Koreans can get inspiration in our ancestry for 4,000 years ago under the philosophy of “hong ik ingan” the Korean people believe that they had a destiny not only for the welfare of the Korean people but for the world. They had a philosophy that recognized that we were truly one family under God.”

Dr. Moon at the Global Peace Leadership Conference, August, 2012, Seoul, Korea

Mr. Chul-Soon Im was one of the attendees of the Global Peace Convention 2013 from Korea. Shortly after, he published a moving editorial in the HanKookIlbo expressing his renewed conviction in Korea’s ancient philosophy of “hong ik ingan” and the Joseon Dynasty’s “Byung-se consciousness”.  “Byung” connotes benevolence needed to unite diverse pieces to establish Grand Harmony (大同), a Confucian concept from the Joseon Dynasty’s contemporary in China, the Qing Dynasty.

He writes, “Why do we need to pursue the task of reunification in Korea? The goal of achieving “one Korea” should be creating an ideal unified country which is globally recognized and respected not for its military and economic power, but for its contribution to the culture and spirit of unity.”

Dr. Moon proposes the establishment of a faith-based council in the United Nations to address identity-based conflicts.

Mr. Im observes that the world is changing as Samuel Huntington warned in his pivotal thesis The Clash of Civilizations, from a hegemony defined by the two major ideological blocs of the Cold War to smaller, but more heated religiously based factions.  In order to bring a unity in today’s reality, mechanisms such as Dr. Moon’s proposed faith-based council at the United Nations become crucial. Mr. Im writes, “this proposal is worth discussion and efforts towards implementation.”

What seems to have been the main impetus for Mr. Im’s reflection on his country’s 4,000 year old philosophy, however, is the vision of One Family under God.  “All religions pursue peace. God in this statement refers to a spiritual and transcendent being that each religion reveres. The philosophy that encompasses such a beyond -religion-movement that can embrace the world is found in “Hong Ik Ingan”, the founding ideology of Korea.”

Mr. Im puts out a call to his countrymen to examine the state of affairs of Korea.  With unification becoming the talk of the day, his makes an appropriate suggestion, that each person first start the process of bringing unity with self-examination.

“The bigger problem lies inside of us. If we remain mired in stubborn and firm belief in factions with little tolerance, political development and social unity is hardly achievable. The spirit of “Grand Harmony” (大同) is truly needed. The Grand Unity, an idea developed by Chuang-tzu, means “All things are one in a big picture but they are all different in detail.” Our goal should be to realize a mature society through tolerance and harmony by promoting the Grand Harmony (大同) and considering minor differences. “

The original translation appears on www.globalpeace.org

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