The recent International Forum on One Korea, titled “Korean Dream: Vision and Pathway towards a Free and Unified Korea,” convened in Seoul on September 27, bringing together around 500 participants, including 180 leaders from over 30 countries. Mr. James Flynn, international president of the Global Peace Foundation, opened the forum by discussing the significance of recent global developments and the potential for breakthroughs toward a peaceful reunification centered on the comprehensive Korean Dream framework.
Welcoming remarks were given by leaders from Action for Korea United, the Ministry of Unification of the Republic of Korea (ROK), and the National Assembly of the ROK. The forum featured experts in policy, North Korean escapees, and civil society leaders who emphasized the Korean Dream—an initiative aimed at achieving peaceful reunification while securing human rights for North Koreans and promoting regional security and prosperity.
Recalling a pivotal meeting last year among South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at Camp David, Mr. Flynn noted their commitment to supporting a unified and peaceful Korean peninsula. In a significant address on August 15, 2024, President Yoon underscored the importance of freedom and human rights as essential for unification, contrasting sharply with Kim Jong-un’s view of the two Koreas as separate, hostile entities.
A North Korean escapee was part of the opening plenary and called human rights the fundamental foundation for unification. She emphasized that genuine peace cannot be achieved without addressing the suffering of the North Korean people.
An emeritus professor at Renmin University of China explained the historical context of the division between North and South Korea, tracing it back to Cold War dynamics. He stressed the need to foster cultural understanding and shared values to move beyond politicized narratives. He remarked that China’s support for peaceful reunification remains unchanged despite North Korea’s recent policy shifts.
The chair of the North Korea Freedom Coalition criticized past policies for neglecting human rights, asserting the urgent need for reunification by May 2027 in light of escalating threats from the Kim regime. She expressed the need to communicate to North Koreans that they have allies who wish to share the benefits of freedom.
A senior scholar at the National Institute for Public Policy also joined the panel and echoed this call for a human rights-first approach. He argued that sidelining human rights in favor of nuclear negotiations has led to failure and called for a strategic shift that includes empowering North Koreans and utilizing all available tools of statecraft.
A former Mongolian Prime Minister emphasized that international collaboration and innovative solutions are essential to tackle the complexities of Korean reunification, which he believes will lead to prosperity and freedom for all. Another speaker pointed out that while the economic reconstruction of North Korea would be challenging, it could ultimately yield high returns on investment, especially given South Korea’s current economic strength.
Keynote speaker Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon, founder of the Global Peace Foundation, declared 2024 a crucial moment in Korean history, calling for a rekindling of the Korean identity rooted in the ideal of Hongik Ingan, which emphasizes living for the benefit of others.
“I go back to Korean history to remind the Korean people of who we are, what our providential mandate and destiny is. And that if we can rekindle that innate DNA within every single one of us, rooted in the Hongik Ingan ideal—that was the genesis of our history, our national character, our culture, our language, our national identity—then we can bring all the disparate factions of Korea together.”
Dr. Moon identified vision and spirituality as the primary foundation for a reunified Korea. “Foundational and fundamental to any grassroots movement is a vision,” explained Dr. Moon. “It’s a vision, a dream that can capture the imagination of every Korean to the point where they want to become the owner of that dream.”
As One Family under God, humankind shares a common origin and a clear basis for human rights. “Without the idea of God’s sovereignty, there are no human rights. There are no freedoms.”
The forum featured discussions on the role of the international community in achieving peaceful reunification, strategies for promoting human rights, and the economic opportunities that a united Korea could offer.
The International Forum on One Korea was organized alongside the 2024 Korean Dream Grand March, celebrating Korea’s National Foundation Day. This event mobilized civil society leaders and activists, aiming for a global campaign of 10 million supporters advocating for unification by 2025. The forum was a collaboration of the Global Peace Foundation, Action for Korea United, and the One Korea Foundation, among others, and was sponsored by the Ministry of Unification.
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.