A new campaign for Korean unification kicked off, Tuesday, aiming to secure 10 million supporters by 2025.
The Rally for the Commitment and Action for Korean Unification on the 78th Anniversary of the Liberation of Korea was jointly hosted by nine local associations, including Action for Korea United, Korean National Police Veterans Association and the Leaders’ Alliance for Korea Unification. Rep. Lee Myoung-su of the ruling People Power Party and Rep. Lee Yong-sun of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) were among the co-hosts of the event.
The goal is to gather 10 million people in Korea and overseas by 2025 supporting inter-Korean unification. The “Korea Dream 10 Million” project will be completed by 2025, which marks the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule, which ended in 1945.
Participants of the rally pledged to work together for Korean unification regardless of differences in their ideologies and political or religious beliefs. They agreed to be vocal about those suffering from the division and arouse international support for unification.
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Seo In-teck, co-chairman of Action for Korea United, explains the Korea Dream 10 Million campaign’s future agenda at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Korea Dream 10 Million campaign organizing committee |
“It has been 78 years since the country was liberated and 70 years since the Korean War was halted after the two Koreas reached an armistice,” Rep. Lee said during the rally. “But with Washington-Beijing tensions intensifying and the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, the world seems to have regressed from the era of dialogue and cooperation back to that of division and turfs. To secure peace over the Korean Peninsula, unification that is supported domestically and internationally is key.”
Participants of the rally also shared strategies that could help them attain their goal.
Co-chairman of Action for Korea United Seo In-teck and President of the Institute of Literature and Culture Lee Yeong-joon said the build-up process will employ K-pop concerts in seven cities on six different continents in 2025 and a nationwide walkathon from Haenam County in South Jeolla Province to Seoul for 33 days this September. In October, the organizers plan to hold a unification-themed festival for 100,000 visitors in Yeouido, Seoul.
Kim Ho-il, president of the Korean Senior Citizens’ Association, said the country’s unification process has been stymied by political differences for the past 70 years.
“It’s time to shatter that frame and realize unification that transcends political, religious and cultural barriers,” he added.
Every year on August 15th, Koreans around the world celebrate Korea’s liberation from colonial rule. This commemorative day also serves as a reminder of the unfulfilled Korean Dream to “become a model nation that can benefit all humanity.”
On August 15, 2023, a Rally for the Commitment and Action of Korean Unification on the Anniversary of the Liberation of Korea was hosted by local organizations, including Action for Korea United (AKU). The Rally continues to build momentum toward the “Korea Dream 10 Million” Campaign, which aims to gather 10 million Korean Dream supporters to celebrate the 80th anniversary of National Liberation Day in 2025.
The Korea Times covered the event. You can read the article below or find the original here.