Gyu-lee Lee of The Korea Times covered the youth festival that kicked off the five-day Global Peace Convention held in Manila, Philippines in December, 2023. You can read the article below or at the following link.

[The] vision that can guide humanity to world peace is none other than One Family under God. It builds off the idea of God’s sovereignty as the source of all human rights and freedoms, as well as expanding those ideas to the level of the family. It recognizes the relational nature of our human existence and how family shapes and forms our worldview. It acknowledges the value of diversity and recognizes the Creator as the common thread that holds all humanity together; just as good parents are the glue that keeps their often contentious and competitive children united in love within the ideal of family.

Most importantly, it raises humanity’s spiritual consciousness of the moral laws that should govern a truthful, righteous, and good life beyond the barriers of ideology, religion, ethnicity, race, or even nationality. It challenges us to rethink our paradigms and look beyond the failures of the past to what could be possible in the future if we only dare to dream big.

 Hyun Jin Preston Moon
Global Peace Convention 2021

The director of the movie, The Ten Commandments, Cecil B. DeMille said regarding the idea of universal principles, “It is impossible for us to break the law. We can only break ourselves against the law.” Just as understanding gravity and the laws of physics allow us to live in harmony rather than at odds with the created universe, we might say that our alignment with and understanding of God’s principles should be of utmost concern for all of us. 

For instance, when we look at the civil rights movement in the U.S., laws were challenged to align more closely with moral law and universal principles. In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. clearly distinguished between unjust laws made by man and those that followed what he called moral law. In the letter, he declared, “One has not only a legal, but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.” 

This points to a higher, transcendent law that should supersede the codes man creates. In fact, we should work to correct human laws where they are morally misaligned. To do otherwise force society to a place where “we can only break ourselves against the law.”

The spiritual traditions have long pointed to the issues of “ultimate concern” that set out the course by which people could live ethically here on earth. And so, the spiritual and wisdom traditions and their leaders have the duty to open the path forward. The idea of what is morally right and good need not be relegated to the realm of one religion or the other or only in the realm of the religions themselves. In discussion and dialogue of what is good, righteous, and true, the religions can establish the common ground to build broader social engagement and influence wider culture towards a greater end.

Perhaps because we live in this deeply divided time, we can see more clearly the need for this kind of moral leadership. Today, we need leaders that can reach across lines and barriers to imagine and work towards a better future for all humanity.  

Throughout history, God has inspired the founding of various faith and wisdom traditions to elevate human consciousness and cultivate ethical civilizations. And yet, continually, we see division and even conflict between people of different faiths, although the vast majority of moral precepts they seek to live by in daily life are exactly the same. The source of their contention is often rooted in differing institutional orthodoxies, doctrines and traditions. [W]hile they aspire to many of the same spiritual principles and goals, such as loving thy neighbor, living a moral life rooted in truth and righteousness, and, eventually, creating a world of peace.

– Dr. Hyun Jin Moon, Global Peace Convention 2021

The world’s religious traditions generally uphold the same universal principles and values. Former UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, mused that “I have often said the problem is never the faith -– it is the faithful, and how they behave towards each other.” While religions might hold different liturgical and doctrinal positions, all of them uphold similar values such as compassion, respect, charity, peace, and more.

Understanding this, it becomes incumbent upon the faithful to take on a new or renewed mission in their communities and societies today. We, the faithful, should take up our faith to inspire peace and build harmony across the lines of difference in terms of religion, race, and social divides. It is becoming evident that we need this more than ever as the traditional moral framework of American life is undermined, and essential values are stripped from the American public square.

American Founding Father John Adams wrote that “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” He wrote this because he believed that self-governance was only possible by those who could live following a mature conscience, which more often than not required the wisdom and guidance of the faith traditions. Not only this, the many social services and voluntary associations, and activities that came out of a religious motivation have fallen by the wayside. As a result, the social fabric has frayed, becoming both poorer and less vibrant across the country.

In his award-winning book, Korean Dream: A Vision for a Unified Korea, Dr. Moon uses other examples where people of faith changed the course of history. In many instances, it was people of faith who engaged with the broader public sphere to advance the cause of human rights and freedoms for all.

It is with this in mind that Dr. Moon encourages the faithful to be those to write the future:

Just as it was people of faith that engendered the American experiment, it should be the faithful that leads the world to peace by advocating the vision of One Family under God. All faiths should cooperate to build a world free of conflict, reflecting the highest spiritual ideals, rooted in universal principles and values that reflect God’s truth, righteousness, goodness, and love for all humanity. Only then could we harness the power of faith to truly transform the world and build true everlasting peace and harmony for all.

Faiths have always driven and inspired people to live for the sake of others and are essential to building a robust civil society. It’s time to reignite this tradition on the global scale, as Dr. Moon continues to inspire and remind us: 

For we, collectively, are the authors of this chapter in human history. Today our world is at a critical juncture, an inflection point. The choices we make, the standards we set, and the leadership we exhibit will have far-reaching implications for the future. Now is a time for clear vision and principled action. I hope that each one of you will become peacebuilders in your respective spheres of influence and join with us in the great movement for global peace.

2021 Global Peace Convention Plenary
Keynote Address
Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon
August 14, 2021

Introduction

The theme for the Global Peace Convention this year is “Moral and Innovative Leadership in Peacebuilding for Our Changing World.” It could not be more timely, due to the present circumstances of global uncertainty and seemingly irresolvable conflicts.

While globalization benefited humanity greatly through trade, travel, and communications, there were also real downsides; the Covid-19 pandemic, for instance, showed how rapidly a health issue in one city can become a global crisis. More importantly, it reminded us of the uncertainties of human existence and our inability to find effective global solutions, regardless of the myriad international organizations created for just such a crisis.

As an economic phenomenon, globalization has heightened the inequities between rich and powerful nations and the developing world. This has reignited a politics of resentment and a growing separatist nationalism in reaction. These dynamics have been intensified by the global focus on consumerism and material development that seem to undermine traditional cultures and values, leading some to turn to violent religious extremism.

Thus, we face the irony that while globalization has interlinked our world in remarkable ways, it has also led to increasing fragmentation and antagonism in the spheres of politics and, most importantly, values.

Resurgence of Ideological Conflict

The rise of increasingly powerful dictatorial states that use advanced technology to strictly control their populations is, at root, about underlying values. The collapse of Soviet communism has not bankrupted Marxist ideas nor ended the debate over the source of human rights and freedoms; do they come from the State or are they endowed by a transcendent, principled Creator? Are people meant to be servants of the State, or is government meant to represent and serve its citizens?

Ladies and gentlemen, universal principles that guarantee human rights and freedoms, transcending governments or any human institution, are the foundation of a virtuous democracy. This understanding has been the cornerstone of every successful Western democratic-style government since the end of the Second World War. Today, however, many in the West have lost sight of those values and are turning to more extremist power-politics on both the left and the right, eroding liberty in the name of social justice, equity, welfare and national security.

Meanwhile, the very understanding that there are transcendent truths and principles is being challenged in the media and universities through neo-Marxist intellectual trends, such as critical race theory and deconstructionism, in an effort to breakdown the Judeo-Christian value system of western societies. Democracy, stripped of these underpinning values, and reduced to a competition for power, cannot by itself resolve conflicts and build peace; nor could it maintain the level of liberty and prosperity enjoyed by the West for centuries.

God’s Sovereignty and Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms

Thus, we stand today at a crossroads. What principles, which values, will direct our lives and guide us into the future? The path forward will be determined by our answer to this question. Our choices now, in the early 21^st century, will decide whether humanity takes the path to peace and prosperity or to further conflict and chaos. This is a human moral responsibility. Neither belief in one’s religion nor faith in scientific advances relieves us of this dilemma.

Ladies and gentlemen, there are important lessons to be learned from the American experiment. The U.S. Declaration of Independence lays out the foundation of a principled polity with the words, “all men are created equal and endowed by the Creator with certain unalienable rights.” It proclaims the fundamental value and dignity of every human life, and recognizes as self-evident that the Source of that value, and the rights it entails, is eternal and universal. Therefore, those rights cannot be abrogated by any ruler or human institution.

This was a revolutionary idea at the time and still is today. Yet back in 1776, it was a direct challenge to a world in which “the divine right of kings” held sway. It aspired to create One Nation under God, recognizing God’s sovereignty and not a human one, so that the rights and freedoms inherent in each person made in the image of the Creator could be the national creed of the American experiment.

There was no guarantee that it could be established and prevail. It took nearly a century and a Civil War for America to finally address the fundamental injustice of slavery, which denied the essential rights and value of a whole race of people. In his Gettysburg Address during that war, President Abraham Lincoln asked if a nation founded on such a principle could long endure, and called for dedication to the founding ideal toward a new birth of freedom for all Americans.

The understanding that fundamental rights and freedoms are endowed to every human being by the Creator has endured. Just as Lincoln hearkened to the powerful assertions in the Declaration of Independence, so too did Martin Luther King Jr. a century later during the height of the Civil Rights movement in his “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial.  They recognized the self-evident truth of God’s sovereignty as the source of all fundamental rights and freedoms; that regardless of human failures and contradictions in America’s history, surely, that idea will eventually prevail.

One Family under God

Today we must frame the question Lincoln raised at Gettysburg in a different way:  Can a world that is NOT built on such a principle survive?

Ladies and gentlemen, biologically, all human beings share a common DNA. We all come from a common ancestor. In essence, beyond the tremendous diversity of life, we are essentially all related as one human family. Today, those differences are even more pronounced due to the spread of identity politics and globalization that has brought different races, ethnicities, religions, cultures and nations into ever closer, often contentious contact.

To live together in peace and prosperity we must understand that beyond these many differences, we are one family who share the same origin in the Creator God.  The vision of One Family under God can unite us since it shows the pathway to true global unity in diversity, as the American experiment aspires to do on a national level. The alternative is continued conflict and chaos among warring power groups based on identity-based politics, rooted in our differences; and, eventually, forced to live under the tyranny of whatever power group wins out in the end.

One Family under God expresses, in a simple yet profound way, a fundamental truth about human life.  We are all relational beings. At birth, we are completely dependent on our parents for survival. As we develop in the family, we learn valuable lessons of interdependence, cooperation and co-existence by finding our sense of value and belonging, recognizing the importance of the relationships we build as a son/daughter, brother/sister, husband/wife and father /mother. These lessons are, then, expanded to a larger circle of relationships within the family, and outside the home to the larger society, nation and world.

Family is the central locus of human experience and meaning. Just as the pregnant phrase in the US Declaration of Independence became a catalyst for elevating our consciousness about the source of human freedoms and rights, so too the vision of One Family under God can spark a new awareness of our interconnectedness beyond the innate value of the individual to the most basic human social unit—the family. Imagine the ramifications if we really began to perceive every person as a member of God’s family, sharing in the innate value, freedom and rights endowed upon each one of us through our creation in His image.

It can be a catalyst for raising up our spiritual consciousness to an even higher level beyond the individual level to that of family. Thus, it will provide us the ability to perceive more clearly the eternal principles governing human life, along with the resolve to live by them. Living in resonance with these principles is living under the sovereignty of God. It is the foundation for genuine freedom, lasting peace and prosperity for the entire human family.

Importance of Conscience in Discerning Universal Principles

What will it take to achieve such a lofty ideal? Peacebuilding requires more than good intentions. It must stand upon foundational principles that can be expressed through effective action. We have to remember that we are not the source of our own existence. We cannot arbitrarily create the laws we exist under. Just as natural laws exist and govern the world of Nature, so too do moral laws that govern the human spirit.

In recent centuries, we have learned a great deal about our universe – that it had a beginning, is highly ordered, and functions with mathematical precision. Science itself begins with the assumption of natural laws and principles that are unchanging and absolute. The origin of the universe must be transcendent, and the source of the natural and moral laws that guide it must in itself be unchanging. We call that Origin and Source by different names, but, most typically, we use the word God.

Just as we understand that living in harmony with the laws of nature is necessary for sustaining life on our planet, so too is aligning with the moral laws of the universe necessary for finding meaning and fulfillment in life that can be shared by all people.  God and the universal principles He created must be at the center of human existence. True freedom is not doing whatever we like in the moment. It is the freedom to recognize and live by those principles through which true human value and dignity are realized.

That is why freedom of conscience is so important. It is the foundational freedom that recognizes and guarantees the equal value of every person that the U.S. Declaration of Independence proclaims and the Constitution ensures. It recognizes the conscience as the human faculty through which we discern the universal principles that govern our existence and distinguish right from wrong. All other freedoms, such as freedom of belief and expression, are an extension of the freedom to exercise one’s conscience.

Freedom of Religion

Thus, freedom of religion is an absolute necessity in ensuring true liberty. The world’s religions have a vital role to play in bringing about this transformation of consciousness. Extending the importance of freedom of conscience to the level of society means that freedom of religion is an essential foundation for a truly free and ethical society. But freedom comes with responsibility.

Throughout history, God has inspired the founding of various faith and wisdom traditions to elevate human consciousness and cultivate ethical civilizations. And yet continually we see division and even conflict between people of different faiths, although the vast majority of moral precepts they seek to live by in daily life are exactly the same. The source of their contention is often rooted in differing institutional orthodoxies, doctrines and traditions while they aspire to many of the same spiritual principles and goals, such as loving thy neighbor, living a moral life rooted in truth and righteousness and, eventually, create a world of peace.

Just as it was people of faith that engendered the American experiment, it should be the faithful that leads the world to peace by advocating the vision of One Family under God. All faiths should cooperate to build a world free of conflict, reflecting the highest spiritual ideals, rooted in universal principles and values that reflect God’s truth, righteousness, goodness and love for all humanity. Only then could we harness the power of faith to truly transform the world and build true everlasting peace and harmony for all.

Korean Dream

Ladies and gentlemen, today human rights are being violated in many parts of the world in ways that fundamentally deny human dignity and innate value. North Korea, in particular, is notorious in this regard. Korea, the country of my birth, has a significant role in resolving this grave injustice against humanity.

I have spoken and written of the Korean Dream, the dream of a country re-united on the foundation of universal principles and values. I look to the providential mandate rooted deep in Korea’s history and culture, predating the current ideological division by millennia. In particular, hongik ingan, or “living for the greater benefit of all humanity” resonates with the spiritual principles of all the great religious traditions and with the high ideals of the Declaration of Independence.

Divided Korea is the last remaining vestige of the Cold War. The North is the last bastion of atheistic communism in its most extreme form. 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. Korea can become a model for many countries in the world, particularly those that experienced colonialism, division and poverty, as it champions the vision of One Family under God as a global advocate.

Family and Character

Ladies and gentlemen, to create a world that substantiates One Family under God calls for moral leaders and virtuous citizens. These are raised in families. Effective peacebuilding with deep roots begins in families. Families look to shape the future of society through each rising generation. Therefore, before we speak of principled societies and nations, we should first speak of families that live in accord with the universal principles we have spoken about.

The family should be the school of love where children learn how to relate with others – parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, you name it  — and where the foundations of character are laid. This provides a child with the model for relating with others in the wider society as an adult. It is also where the child can experience most directly the love of God. The revolution in spiritual consciousness begins with a revolution in the life of the family.

Character education, first in the family, then in schools, should raise future generations with the grounding in moral principles, the spirit of public service, and the practical skills to move the world closer to the ideal of One Family under God. Such families will form the social foundation for realizing that ideal through raising the peacebuilders of tomorrow to actively bring it about.

The Need for Moral and Innovative Leaders

Realizing the vision of One family under God requires leadership that is both moral – rooted in universal principles and values – and innovative – finding creative ways to put these principles into practice. Such leadership is essential to tackle a wide range of challenges.

Our time features a cacophony of conflicting ideas about human identity and society, from the nature of the state to individual identity and gender relations. The result has been widespread moral confusion. That is why we need clarity in the principles, values and vision which could guide us through this impasse in human history. It is important that we understand which ideas will lead to a peaceful, harmonious future and which will dissolve social bonds, leading to chaos and anarchy.

Ladies and gentlemen, the vision that can guide humanity to world peace is none other than One Family under God. It builds off the idea of God’s sovereignty as the source of all human rights and freedoms as well as expanding those ideas to the level of family. It recognizes the relational nature of our human existence and how family shapes and forms our world view. It acknowledges the value of diversity and recognizes the Creator as the common thread that holds all humanity together; just as good parents are the glue that keep their often contentious and competitive children united in love within the ideal of family.

Most importantly, it raises humanity’s spiritual consciousness of the moral laws that should govern a truthful, righteous and good life beyond the barriers of ideology, religion, ethnicity, race or even nationality. It challenges us to rethink our paradigms and look beyond the failures of the past to what could be possible in the future, if we only dare to dream big.

For we, collectively, are the authors of this chapter in human history. Today our world is at a critical juncture, an inflection point. The choices we make, the standards we set, and the leadership we exhibit will have far-reaching implications for the future. Now is a time for clear vision and principled action.  I hope that each one of you will become peacebuilders in your respective spheres of influence and join with us in the great movement for global peace.

Let us all commit to become the moral and innovative leaders who invest all of our passion, energy and talent to serve the greatest good -for the benefit of all humanity, that together, step by step, we can finally realize the greatest dream of all, the dream of One Family under God!

Thank you and may God bless you and your families.

By Kim Bo-eun

The Global Peace Convention discussed the issue of unification of South and North Korea in Seoul as crucial talks on denuclearization took place between the U.S. and North Korea in Hanoi last week. The convention was held marking the 100th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement that took place under Japan’s colonial rule in 1919.

A total of 1,200 participants from 40 nations, including security experts and scholars, took part in the three-day convention hosted by the Global Peace Foundation at the Lotte Hotel and President Hotel in central Seoul, Feb. 26-28.

Notable speakers included Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference member Han Fangming, former U.K. ambassador to North Korea John Everard, former Mongolian president Punsalmaa Ochirbat, Russian Academy of Sciences’ Center for Korean Studies director Alexander Zhebin, Religious Freedom and Business Foundation President Brian Grim and India’s Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses’ East Asia Center Coordinator Jagannath Panda.

Various forums discuss unification, each focusing on the role of youth, female leadership, education, as well as establishing a lasting peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.

Panelists of the One Korea International Forum, including Everard, Zhebin and former Chinese Ambassador to the U.N. Guofang Shen, supported South Korea-led efforts for unification, independent of interventions by foreign powers. They also agreed on the importance of the Korean people playing an active role in the process.

“For Koreans, whose fate had been determined by foreign powers throughout the 20th century, the need for independent self-realization is a powerful force,” the foundation chairman Moon Hyun-jin said in a keynote speech at the convention’s plenary, Feb. 28.

“American policymakers fail to recognize that the nuclear issue must be understood with the larger strategic framework of unification.”

The issues of religious freedom and the poor human rights situation in North Korea were also discussed.

Participants at the convention also attended a One K Concert at the front of the National Assembly on Friday, marking the anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement.

Korea was liberated from Japan’s 1910-1945 colonial rule after Japan’s defeat in World War II. However, it became divided as forces of the Soviet Union occupied the North and the U.S. the South, with the 38th parallel serving as the boundary. The Korean War broke out as the North invaded the South in 1950, and ended in an armistice in 1953, leaving the Koreas divided by the demilitarized zone and still technically at war today. Declaring an end to the Korean War has been discussed in denuclearization negotiations between North Korea and the U.S.

The Global Peace Convention was first held in the Philippines in 2009 and has been hosted in the U.S., Kenya, Malaysia and Paraguay.

The Global Peace Foundation is an international nonprofit organization with headquarters in Maryland in the U.S., with initiatives in 22 countries. The chairman’s father, Moon Sun-myung, founded a religious movement known as the unification movement.

In an interview with The Korean Times on February 25, Dr. Hyun Jin P. Moon urged the United States to work with allies, including South Korea, to focus on an endgame strategy for Korean reunification, not nuclear denuclearization, as the most viable solution to the crisis facing the peninsula.

With its narrow focus on the singular, unachievable goal of full, verified nuclear disarmament, the U.S. is in danger of missing the boat because much wider issues are now in play with potentially dangerous geopolitical consequences,” Dr. Moon said in his interview. “With an impetus toward unification under way among the Korean parties, the most important strategic question will become, ‘What sort of unification will it be?’ This will be the new battleground and where debate should be focused. The U.S. needs to recognize this emerging reality and adapt its policy accordingly.”

Read the full story on The Korea Times.

By Park Ji-won

The U.S. should push for policies with its allies, including South Korea, to seek an end goal of establishing a unified Korea, says a prominent NGO director.

“It should be the responsibility of the global community to help the Korean people, bring a closure to this chapter of colonialism and the Cold War of the peninsula, allow us to develop, fulfill our destiny to create a model nation,” Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Chairman Moon Hyun-jin said in an interview with The Korea Times on Feb 25.

Moon is an activist supporting unification through holding seminars and cultural events as well as volunteering for impoverished countries. He also wrote a vision book, “Korean Dream: A Vision for a Unified Korea,” to help others understand his philosophy to move toward unification. His father Moon Sun-myung was the founder of a religious movement known as the unification movement.

“With its narrow focus on the singular, unachievable goal of full, verified nuclear disarmament, the U.S. is in danger of missing the boat because much wider issues are now in play with potentially dangerous geopolitical consequences,” he said. “With an impetus toward unification under way among the Korean parties, the most important strategic question will become, ‘What sort of unification will it be?'”

“This will be the new battleground and where debate should be focused. The U.S. needs to recognize this emerging reality and adapt its policy accordingly.”

Regarding the second summit between the U.S. and North Korea, he emphasized that the U.S. was missing the point because denuclearization was too narrow a focus, and unification should be an end goal in talking about the Korean Peninsula.

He said his view was based on his expectation that North Korea was not going to give up its nuclear arsenal because it was the North’s only strength within the international community.

He also anticipated that the summit in Hanoi between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump would have no results because the U.S and North Korea had different interests.

“I don’t think the Korean people should expect anything big out of this. Nothing is going to happen because the U.S. is going to demand denuclearization; Kim is probably saying okay we will do it. But he is not going to do it,” he said.

He said in commemorating the centennial of the May 1 Movement, a movement seeking independence from imperial Japan in 1919, people should recognize the importance of the Hongik Ingan philosophy, or living for the good of others, as the aspiration of the Korean people for 5,000 years and thus the key to build the foundation for Korean unification.

He urged civic organizations and the population in general, especially the young generation, to take the lead in pushing for unification.

The dream for a free, unified nation that brings peace to the world was in the hearts of the Korean people 100 years ago during the 1919 March 1 Independence Movement. In honor of the centenary, the Global Peace Foundation, a partner of the One Korea Global Campaign, hosted the Global Peace Convention in Seoul from February 27-March 1. On March 1st, the convention closed with a One Korea Concert at the National Assembly Plaza, featuring the K-pop artists performing the Korean Dream song. The following story on the significance of the song can be found on 1dream1korea.com.

To K-pop fans, the newly released music videos of the Korean Dream song, including the Korean and English versions, are a rare occasion to see many of their favorite K-pop groups collaborating for just one song. Yet, when they go beyond the smiling faces and beautiful harmonies and begin to realize the profound message of the song, tears will inevitably follow. This touching song brings hope to an issue that weighs heavily in the hearts of many Koreans.

The Korean people have a shared language, culture, and history going back five millennia, but the division of the Korean peninsula has separated families in the North and South with the North Koreans suffering unthinkable hardships. People around the world may easily forget this painful reality, but the Korean people must live with it every day. This unique collaboration of Korea’s top artists brings this tragic reality to the forefront of popular culture in Korea and around the world. More importantly, the song brings hope by showing solidarity in “one dream for one Korea,” as the song conveys.

Kim Hyung-suk composed the song, Korean Dream

Both videos have the same melody and message but different lyrics. Kim Eana Kim and Kim Hyung-suk, renowned lyricist and composer/producer respectively and creators of the 2015 Unification Song One Dream One Korea, teamed up again for the Korean version of the Korean Dream song. The music video features K-pop groups Momoland, KARD, April, TRCNG, Laboum, Astro, Sonamoo, Dreamcatcher and solo artists Lim Chang-jung, Kim Jo Han, Jung In, Ali, Jung Joon Young, Lee Sang-min, and Kong Seoyoung. As the credits roll at the end, North Korean defector children who appeared earlier in the video can be heard singing the chorus in unison, “One becomes one again for a better world tomorrow, Korean dream.”

The message is clear and simple: Koreans in the North, South and diaspora are one people and aspire to serve the world as one Korea. The music video reflects this beautifully as it features South Korean singers, North Korean defector children, and Korean singers that once lived abroad in countries such as China, the US, Indonesia, the Philippines, France and Kyrgyzstan. The Korean Dream is a unique vision for a free, unified nation built on Korea’s founding ideal Hongik Ingan which the lyrics express, “benefit all mankind, you and I together.” A reunified nation that upholds human rights and freedoms for all Koreans and strives to benefit humanity would naturally bring stability in the region and spread peace to the world.

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis speaking on the power of music to speak across differences during the second plenary of the Global Peace Convention 2017.

The American version features the K-pop group Voisper, South Korean singer Jong Dongha, Korean-Australian Dami Im, and other non-Korean singers Peabo Bryson, Edray, Zendee, and Sabrina. The five-time Grammy award winners and R&B legends, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, composed and produced the Korean Dream song and first debuted it in 2017 at the Global One Korea Peace concert in Manila. The English version expresses the same message for One Korea benefiting the world:

“We’re all citizens of God’s creation
so let our voices be heard
join hands and heal the world
with universal love guiding our hearts
we’re stronger and better together
than apart
Strength in unity
universal dream
a vision we will serve the world
as one family one.”

As people of the world are one human family, the music video demonstrates this with non-Korean artists standing in solidarity with the Korean people in advancing the Korean Dream.

The following speech was delivered by Dr. Hyun Jin P. Moon, Founder and Chairman of Global Peace Foundation, at the Global Peace Convention 2019 on February 28, 2019, in the Lotte Hotel, South Korea.

Excellencies, Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:

Thank you for joining us here in Seoul, Korea, my birthplace, for the Global Peace Convention at this momentous time in Korea’s history.

I would like to thank the many leaders here with the One Korea Global Campaign Organizing Committee, the Korean Parliamentary Society, Action for Korea United and the Global Leadership Council for their support and commitment and to welcome our many distinguished international guests here to Korea.

Guiding Principle of Hongik Ingan for Korean Reunification

All Koreans, North, South and in the diaspora trace their origins back millennia to the mythological story of Dangun, the ancestor of the Korean people. Running like a thread throughout our five-thousand-year history is the philosophical ideal of Hongik Ingan which roughly translated means “to live for the greater benefit of humanity.” It has always been a guiding principle throughout Korea’s tumultuous history in periods of crisis and national renewal. Representing our historic, cultural DNA, it allowed Koreans of every generation to connect to our heritage and define our future legacy.

Understandably, Hongik Ingan was a motivating ideal for the Independence movement that sought to create a new republic out of the ashes of the Chosen dynasty. It shaped the aspirations of the Independence leaders to want more than just freedom from Japanese colonial occupation.  Based on this ethos they believed it was their destiny to create an ideal nation that would be an example to the world.

The most significant milestone of the Korean independence movement came in 1919.  On March 1st of that year, more than two million Koreans, ten percent of the entire population, coalesced in a groundswell of support for the Korean Declaration of Independence, proclaiming it peacefully in mass rallies across the nation. Known as the “Mansei” or “Sam-il” movement to Koreans, it marked the first non-violent civil protest to Japanese and European colonial rule, inspiring other national movements for independence throughout the 20th century.

We are gathered here to celebrate the centennial of that moment in history and recognize the heroic efforts of our forefathers. Although a homogeneous people, Koreans have been inspired by Hongik Ingan throughout their history to seek universal truths from all philosophical and religious traditions. Unlike other Asians, Koreans were willing to embrace western values of freedom and human rights, political ideals of a constitutional republic as well as Christianity as we struggled to define our future.

This was reflected in the Korean Declaration of Independence. It appealed to the ideals of liberty, equality and the innate right of national self-determination. Harkening to the American Declaration, it highlighted the self-evident truths that are the basis for a world of conscience in line with a higher power and the peaceful progression of history.

Korean independence was seen through the lens of fulfilling Korea’s national destiny, instead of mere condemnation of Japan. I quote from the Declaration itself, “Today, our duty is to rebuild ourselves, not to demolish others.” It continues by stating that, “to boldly right old wrongs, opening a new relationship based on true mutual understanding, is certainly the best way for both countries to avert disaster and foster amity” with Japan.

Thus, for the architects of the Korean Declaration, one of whom was my Great Grand-uncle, Rev. Moon Yoon-guk, one of the most influential Christian pastors of his day, the Sam-il movement sought to stay true to the high ideals of Hongik Ingan. They recognized that “with the well-being of all humanity at stake, the establishment of Korean independence is a grave issue that transcends mere animosity of two nations.” Eventually signed by 33 signatories representing Christianity, Buddhism and Cheondogyo, as well as civic and cultural leaders, the Declaration stayed true to the spiritual roots of Korea’s founding and reinforced its sense of providential destiny.

The Role of the United States

The United States played a great role in shaping the geopolitical landscape of Asia and the fate of Korea throughout the 20th century. With the end of the Great War, President Woodrow Wilson drafted the 14 Points whereby one of those proposals mentioned the need for national self-determination for all colonized peoples, inspiring the Sam-il movement of 1919. Yet, due to weak American leadership, Wilson’s vision fell apart in a feeding frenzy as Allied Powers vied for the imperial territories of the Central Powers.

Instead of building a better post-war order, the Versailles Treaty paved a path for Japanese imperial ambitions in Asia. Because the West recognized Japan to the exclusion of every other Asian nation, it legitimized a sense of Japanese superiority over its neighbors. This would lead Japan on a collision course with the United States in Asia and, eventually, the entrance of the US into the Second World War.

The unconditional surrender of Japan in 1945 offered the United States a unique opportunity to influence the geo-political order of Asia once again. It had single-handedly defeated the Japanese empire, and it stood as the world’s only great super-power. Europe was in shambles, with the colonies of Europe and Japan seeking national self-determination.

In this vacuum, the US could have righted the wrongs of colonialism and brought freedom to the oppressed people of the developing world, in line with the aspirations of the Korean and other subsequent independence movements. This would have been the best bulwark against Communism and the Cold War that was soon to follow. Sadly, this was not to be.

Inviting the Soviet Union into the Pacific theatre due to concerns of excessive casualties in the invasion of Japan, the US inadvertently allowed the Russians to influence the geo-political landscape of Northeast Asia. The peninsula was divided into zones of influence along the 38th parallel, very much like Eastern Europe. In 1948, two separate governments were created in Korea, permanently dividing the peninsula. When the Soviets successfully tested their own atomic bomb in 1949, the US no longer stood as the world’s only great super-power, ushering in the nuclear age and the beginning of the Cold War.

War Postpones Hope for Independent Korea

The creation of the Republic of Korea (ROK) in the South and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the North was a direct product of the Cold War with both governments, however, seeking to unify the peninsula from its very founding. Interestingly, the names of both nations either is or ends with the “Republic of Korea,” which harkens back to the independence movement, reflecting their common root. Eventually, the North’s failed attempt to unify Korea by force led to the Korean War in 1950. The fighting ended with an armistice in 1953 that solidified the division and left the hopes of the independence movement still unfulfilled.

While the military stalemate remains, the two Koreas developed in very different directions. “The Miracle on the Han” has transformed South Korea into the twelfth largest economy in the world today. The North’s economy, however, has declined to become a dysfunctional basket case. The only national achievement has been its nuclear program, surprising the world with the speed at which it developed nukes and a missile system to threaten all its neighbors, including the United States.

In response, President Donald Trump’s administration made Korea the top international priority of the US for the first time since the Korean War. It imposed biting sanctions and galvanized global support to enforce those sanctions. In addition, it projected a credible military threat to counter the North’s nuclear program. This aggressive American approach with the full support of the international community, especially the North’s former allies, forced the hand of Kim Jong-un.

Ironically, Kim Jung-un’s nuclear ambition became the catalyst for former geo-political rivals, the U.S., China and Russia, to come together to contain him. His lack of geo-political experience created a perfect storm of global condemnation on a par with the United Nation’s response to the outbreak of the Korean War. Yet, unlike in 1950, the North stood completely alone.

A Missed Opportunity

The complete isolation of North Korea by 2018 was a historical diplomatic achievement largely due to strong American leadership, Kim’s naïve geo-politics and circumstances coming together to create a unique opportunity. Yet, instead of capitalizing on this tremendous inflection point to shape the future of Korea, the United States kept its blinders on in pursuit of the unrealistic narrow goal of the “complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearization (CVID)” of the North.  This revealed its lack of strategic vision for the peninsula, the region and the Pan-Pacific Rim.

Squandering this opportunity, the US has merely reacted to events on the peninsula rather than helping to shape a new geo-political reality. Out of desperation, Kim Jong-un reached out to the newly elected president of South Korea, Moon Jae-in for a lifeline. Representing the legacy of Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun, it was natural that Moon would see the North’s overture as an opportunity to pursue a “Sunshine Policy” 2.0. This would build his and the Left’s political capital domestically as well as give him international bona fides as a peace broker.

What followed was North Korea’s participation in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and three highly publicized Inter-Korea summit meetings between Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong-un. It appeared that the South Korean president’s initiative to “engage” the North was easing the tensions on the peninsula.

Yet, the larger issue of global sanctions led by the United States, as well as its military option to take out the North’s nuclear capabilities, remained a real threat to Kim Jong-un. Astonishingly, Moon took extraordinary steps to advocate direct bilateral talks between the United States and the DPRK, breaking with longstanding diplomatic practice. This set the stage for the Singapore Summit, the first ever face-to-face meeting between a sitting president of the US and North Korea.

This summit would give Kim the legitimacy his predecessors could not achieve and, thereby, increase his stature at home and abroad as an equal to the American president. Once he stood utterly alone, yet with the help of the South Korean president, he now stood as an equal with the very man who nearly brought him and his regime to the brink. The Singapore Summit was to be his greatest comeback.

The Singapore Summit exposed the flaws in American policy. In return for dismantling its nuclear program, the United States was prepared to aid the North’s flagging economy and even ensure the survivability of the Kim regime. In so doing, the US was willing to forfeit its basic values by ignoring the North’s atrocious human rights record as well as cementing a two-state reality on the peninsula. Although Kim agreed to some vague terms on denuclearization, few believed that he had any intention of abandoning his nuclear weapons and many were alarmed with the extent to which the US was willing to go in these bi-lateral negotiations.

Looking Beyond the Narrow Issue of Denuclearization

The US fails to see that the North’s nuclear program is more than its insurance policy against Western aggression; it is Kim’s crowning achievement in the face of a hostile world. For Koreans, whose fate had been determined by foreign powers throughout the 20th century, the need for independent self-realization is a powerful force and, therefore, admired when exhibited, even by Kim.

In addition, giving up its nukes would undercut the legitimacy of the regime that was built on propaganda about their importance to the North Korean people. The loss of credibility from giving up something so central to the Kim dynasty due to foreign pressure would damage the regime internally more than any enticements from the US would benefit it. Although Trump feels that he is on good terms with Kim, the DPRK will not give up their nukes no matter what they promise.

More importantly, American policymakers fail to recognize that the nuclear issue must be understood within the larger strategic framework of unification. Kim Jong-un and the North Korean ruling elite are an inter-generational dictatorship that have not abandoned the dream of Kim’s grandfather, “Eternal President” Kim Il Sung, of a united peninsula dominated by the North and its ideology. Remember, it was his grandfather who instigated the Korean War. Unification has always been the stated goal of both Koreas and something the North has been preparing for decades, with its ties to South Korean labor unions and elements of the ideological Left.

The North has a larger strategic view of a unified Korea that can reap the benefits of the South Korean economy with the might of their nuclear weapons capability. And what they can no longer achieve by force they will seek to achieve by geo-political maneuvers and exploiting the hyper-polarized ideological divides within South Korea. They will seek the official end of the Korean War, so that the US would be pressured to remove its military presence from the peninsula. They will appeal to the anti-American and anti-Japanese elements of the progressive Left in the ROK under the banner of Korean self-determination to erode the fragile alliance in Northeast Asia between South Korea, the US, and Japan; and by doing so, create an opportunity to create a new nation in their image.

American policy makers need to recognize wider strategic issues at play beyond the narrow issue of denuclearization. Following the first summit between Trump and Kim in Singapore, South Korean President Moon Jae-in pursued an evolving policy of greater cooperation with the North at the expense of its allies. He called for the “relaxation of sanctions” and the “declaration of the end to war” between the two Koreas and the United States, to the chagrin of the US and Japan.

The Moon and Kim summits acknowledged Korean unification as a stated goal. On September 19, 2018, in his speech at Rungrado Stadium to the North’s elite, Moon stated that he and Kim pledged “to hasten a future of common prosperity and reunification on our own terms.” This statement was made under “the principle of autonomy for our people, whereby we ourselves determine our own fate,” meaning the two Koreas and no other parties.

With an impetus towards unification underway, the most important strategic question for the United States, the region, the world and, most of all, the Korean people will become, “What sort of unification will it be? What sort of country will the new Korea be?” This is where the battle for the future of the peninsula will be fought.

Yet, how many South Koreans are aware that their leadership has made a tacit agreement for unification? Why is there no debate on the future of unification here in South Korea? Why is North Korea negotiating with the United States in Vietnam to the exclusion of the ROK when it would surely be the most affected by any outcomes made during that summit? The stakes are just too high. There should be a transparent process where the Korean people in the South, North and diaspora are participating in the debate for unification on the peninsula with the support of the international community.

An Out-of-the-Box Approach to Unification

I have long recognized the need for an “out of the box” approach to unification ever since my father, the Reverend Dr. Sun Myung Moon, pioneered the opening to North Korea through his groundbreaking meeting with Chairman Kim Il-sung in 1991. I was disappointed then to witness what followed. Although my father’s intent was to work towards unification in line with the ideals of the independence movement, the South Korean government had no overarching strategic plan or objective except engaging the North. What soon followed was the Sunshine Policy.

This policy of engagement opened the door to the reclusive DPRK. Every chaebol, religious, civic, political group and NGO as well as international governments and entities rushed to the get a foothold in the North. Huge amounts of capital poured in from official and unofficial sources, enabling North Korea to raise the funds it desperately needed to survive and, later, develop its own nuclear program.

The North’s economy at that time relied on subsidies from the Soviet Union; when the Soviets collapsed in the early 1990s, the DPRK was in serious jeopardy. What could have been a tremendous opportunity for unification was squandered due to the lack of leadership in South Korea and the US. Although unification has always been the stated goal of both South and North Korea, due to the ideological nature of their respective plans, neither plan is accepted by the other. With the lack of a clear objective, the policy of engagement reinforced the ideological, social, political, and economic differences of the two Koreas, leading some to wonder if the division of the peninsula could ever be bridged.

A new approach was needed that broke out of the Cold War framework and could appeal to both sides. Such an approach is encapsulated in my book “Korean Dream: Vision for a Unified Korea.” First, I looked to our common history and culture as an ancient people, beyond the divisions imposed upon the peninsula by outside forces. The common thread that ties all Koreans together is the founding mythology of Dangun and the ideal of Hongik Ingan. It is the very root of our Korean identity.

The seventy-four-year division of the Korean people is but a drop in the bucket of our five-thousand-year collective history. Our Korean identity was the common thread that held our people together throughout the ages, allowing us to overcome tremendous challenges. The division on the peninsula is the challenge of our generation but it is by no means insurmountable.

Secondly, I started with the end in mind by clearly stating that the purpose of unification should be to create a new nation in line with our cultural heritage. It encapsulated the aspirations of the independence movement from which the leadership of the two Koreas had come and, thus, made it relevant for the discussion of a new unified homeland. In so doing, I put the emphasis on the outcome and not the process of unification, thus presenting a focus that looks beyond the current opposing ideological positions; and thereby enabling the dialogue to start from a blank slate.

As a student of American history, I knew that the United States, which most agree is the paradigm of freedom and human rights, became the type of nation that it is because of its ideals and its founding principles and values. They are the skeletal frame upon which the flesh of democracy and free enterprise takes form. Yet, when we consider the rich and ancient history of Korea, we have been blessed with many of the ideals, principles, and values that resonate with those championed by the US. A new nation built upon that foundation would truly be a model nation in the world, due to our ancient pedigree and the fact that we overcame the horrors of colonialism and the division of the Cold War.

Civic Society Engagement for Reunification

Great social transformation requires the active engagement of a broad public united in pursuit of a common cause. That cause should be unification. Koreans from the North, South as well as the diaspora must engage with one another on many different levels. Civic organizations and NGOs are the perfect means for such engagement. Understanding the need for a broad civil society coalition, I have been instrumental in launching and developing Action for Korea United.

Since its launch with key partners in 2012, it has grown rapidly into the largest citizen-driven movement for unification in the history of South Korea, and now includes nearly 1,000 organizations. It is making unprecedented progress in building civic consensus, bridging political, religious, and regional divides, and collaborating with government and other stakeholders to promote the cause of unification among Koreans everywhere.

AKU organizes grassroots community education programs based on the Korean Dream approach in provinces throughout Korea and the diaspora. These are coupled with activities through which participants, including refugees and defectors from the North, experience making unification a part of their everyday life.  AKU is also building broad support and enthusiasm for unification especially among the young, through culture and the arts, most notably with new unification songs and One K Concerts featuring award-wining artists and top K-Pop groups, with significant reach and impact through social media.

In addition to these vital efforts, AKU has joined with the Global Peace Foundation and other partners in the One Korea Global Campaign to advance the unification agenda with a wider global public. From experts’ forums like this one, to youth exchanges, cultural initiatives and social media, it is building awareness and generating support for a unified Korea on virtually every continent. Many of you are already actively engaged in this campaign, and I invite all of you to join us in this vital cause.

Need to Recalibrate International Approach to Korean Reunification

While we are gathered here, critical negotiations are underway between the United States and the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea (DPRK) at the second summit between President Trump and Chairman Kim, concluding today in Vietnam. The main reason for this summit is the lack of substantial progress on denuclearization from the first meeting in Singapore last June.

I urge the ROK, US and the international community to recalibrate their approaches. As a concerned Korean, I believe the citizens of South Korea should be alarmed in the misdirected actions of this current administration. Appeasement of and advocacy for Kim’s regime is not a strategy, nor would it lead to anything productive for the Korean people. Unfortunately, the North understands the weakness of the South’s hyper-partisan political environment. It is no coincidence that the North historically only engages with left leaning presidential administrations and not conservative ones.

My book, the “Korean Dream,” offers a new framework for unification that can appeal to all Koreans, in the South, North and the diaspora, rooted in our collective heritage that defines our destiny as a people. I wrote this book to empower all Koreans to be the masters of that destiny and to fulfill the dreams of our forefathers of creating a model nation in line with the Hongik Ingan ideal.  As a good friend and famous contemporary poet Ji Ha Kim said about my book, “My dream, your dream, our dream; all become one in Korean Dream.” If every Korean becomes the owner of this dream, I am confident it will soon become our collective reality.

Most of all, I believe that the US should abandon its narrowly defined denuclearization policy and widen its Korea focus. It should view this issue within the larger framework of unification, especially since it is being actively considered. Like the Marshall Plan in Europe and MacArthur’s reconstruction of Japan did after WWII, the US should have a longer strategic view of Korea in relation to its neighbors and the pan-Pacific Rim. Both those plans led to a post-war alliance that was the bulwark against communist aggression, providing global security and unprecedented economic growth.

Likewise, a unified Korea that is built upon the ideals of Hongik Ingan would naturally align itself to the West since it shares its values of liberty and human rights. In addition, it would be an indispensable peace broker, bridging East and West, in the most dynamic region in the world. As a result, a unified Korea should become the clearly stated and actively pursued policy of the U.S. with the support of the community of nations. In doing so, it would help the Korean people bring closure to the legacy of colonialism and the Cold War that plagued us throughout the 20th century and open a new chapter of freedom, unity and global prosperity in line with our providential charge “to benefit all humanity.”

Celebrating the March 1 Centennial with the Korean Dream

The centennial celebrations that we will be attending tomorrow remind us of the dreams of our forefathers to create an ideal nation. I would like to share what Kim Gu, the head of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai, wrote, “I wish my nation would be a nation that doesn’t imitate others, but rather it be a nation that is the source of a new and higher culture…And thus true world peace come from our nation.” This is the Korean Dream—to create an ideal nation and lead the world to peace.

What would happen if a new united nation is created that reflects the Hongik Ingan ideal of “living the for the benefit of all humanity?” Would it not benefit all Koreans, both North and South, especially those with families divided by the 38th parallel? Would it not benefit the region with a Korean nation friendly with its neighbors beyond ideological divides and true to its historic identity as an advocate for peace?

I pose these questions since the creation of a new nation is still a dream and not yet a reality. But what would happen if everyone gathered in these centennial celebrations were to have that same dream, reminded of the sacrifices of our forefathers during the Sam-il movement of 1919? As Chingis Khan observed seven hundred years ago, “if one person has a dream, it is but a dream; but if everyone shares in that dream, it becomes reality.”

Now is the time for far-reaching vision, wise leadership, and bold action. Korea’s historical quest for one free, independent sovereign nation is no longer a distant dream. It will be the reality of tomorrow. Let us all become the owners of the Korean Dream and realize the Korean Dream!!!

May God bless you and your families, and, once again, let us realize the Korean Dream!