Munhwa Ilbo, a South Korean daily newspaper, published a two-part series based on a recent interview with Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon. Below is a short summary of the series for our English-language readers as well as links to the original Korean articles and a link to the original print edition.
The first article provides a summary profile of Dr. Moon and his global initiatives, including the founding of the Global Peace Foundation, a leader in the current civil society-led Korean Dream movement working for Korean reunification. “Korean Dream” is a term coined by Dr. Moon in 2011 as the vision established at the founding of the Korean nation to build a model nation that can benefit all humanity.
The second article features a question and answer section that explores Dr. Moon’s perspectives on the current political crisis in South Korea and his vision for its resolution through a civil society movement focused on Korean reunification.
Dr. Moon commented on the turmoil surrounding South Korean politics, created not only by President Yoon’s declaration of martial law in late 2024 but by the partisan politics that precipitated it as well as followed in its wake. Despite the current challenges in South Korea, Dr. Moon is optimistic and sees his grassroots, citizen-driven Korean Dream movement as critical to bringing about positive change on the Korean peninsula.
Dr. Moon expressly encouraged youth participation in the Korean Dream movement in its activities and programs. While historical discussions have often focused on the cost of reunification, such as those borne by West Germany following German unification, Dr. Moon emphasizes instead the significant opportunities and prosperity that a peaceful, free, and united Korea would attract to the region as a whole.
Rather than portraying reunification as a distant future possibility, Dr. Moon stresses that historical change often occurs unexpectedly and calls upon people from all walks of life to actively participate in making history. In particular, he spoke on the current “Korean Dream 10 Million Unification March” which is to be held on the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation this year. He commented, “We are preparing to make it a day of celebration not only for Koreans but also for the whole world.”