Latest news with #ActionforKoreaUnited
UPI
4 hours ago
- Politics
- UPI
Global South leaders share lessons on reconciliation at One Korea event
Speaking at the International Support for a Free and Unified Korea forum, Mahuad and leaders from Latin America and Africa shared experiences of healing division. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo Aug. 18 (UPI) -- "We never had another shot fired," recalled former Ecuadorian President Jamil Mahuad, reflecting on the 1998 peace accord with Peru that ended nearly two centuries of conflict over a disputed border region. Speaking at the International Support for a Free and Unified Korea forum, Mahuad and leaders from Latin America and Africa shared experiences of healing division, offering a blueprint for reconciliation as Korea approached its 80th Liberation Day. Korea's Liberation Day, marking the end of Japanese colonial rule in 1945, remains a potent reminder of the peninsula's enduring division. The anniversary has become a symbolic moment for advocates of reunification, highlighting both the challenges and the possibilities of building a shared future. Hosted by the Global Peace Foundation, Action for Korea United, and the One Korea Foundation, the forum brought together participants from Asia and the Americas to Africa, with sessions ranging from environmental restoration to youth leadership strategies. At its heart, Roundtable Session II: The Role of Latin America in Supporting a Free and Unified Korea explored how civic cooperation across continents could help build lasting peace. Mahuad, who brokered the Brasilia Peace Act on October 26, 1998, celebrated the accord as a transformative success. Partnered with Peru through shared economic interests rather than competition, he said: "We never had another shot fired, our economies became complementary, not competitive." He also recalled former U.S. President Jimmy Carter calling the Ecuador-Peru treaty "a model for solving other conflicts in the world." Former Guatemalan President Vinicio Cerezo, the architect behind the Esquipulas Peace Accords, spoke from the lens of survival and leadership. Guatemala's transition to democracy under his watch was turbulent, marked by civil war and multiple coup attempts. "The Esquipulas Peace Accords taught us that peace is not the result of a single leader or a single moment, it is the outcome of dialogue, perseverance, and the courage to imagine a different future," he said, stressing that unification must be rooted in durable institutions and shared prosperity. Kenyan lawmakers added contemporary perspectives rooted in lived realities. MP Agnes Pareiyo Matane, a trailblazer from the Maasai community, warned that peace remained elusive without equity. "Without peace, there's no development, and when resources are not shared equally, communities are left behind," she said, citing gaps in access to water and education. MPs Ikana Frederick Lusuli and Duncan Maina Mathenge reinforced the need for governance that is inclusive and responsive to diverse communities. Speakers drew parallels between ending decades-long conflicts in their own regions and the need for a phased, inclusive process in Korea, underscoring that reconciliation is built not only on treaties but also on social trust, economic integration, and a commitment to reducing inequalities. The significance of these testimonies was amplified by the Global Peace Foundation's role in bringing them together under one inquiry: How can historical lessons of reconciliation guide a divided peninsula toward unity? Moderator Olinda Salguero offered a resonant closing: "The Global South is not only a witness to history; it is increasingly shaping our common future. Our histories show that division is not destiny. When we share knowledge, courage, and vision, we change the future for everyone."
UPI
4 days ago
- Business
- UPI
Civil society group urges national reset on Korean liberation's 80th anniversary
South Korean people give three cheers during the 79th anniversary of the Korean Liberation Day from Japan, at the Bosingak pavilion in Seoul on August 15, 2024. File Photo by Jeon Heon-kyun/EPA Aug. 14 (UPI) -- The 80th anniversary Friday of Japan's World War II surrender announcement is a most significant date for Koreans. The day marks their liberation from Japanese colonial rule. Amid the celebrations, one organization, Action for Korea United, is challenging the current state and future direction of South Korea. Speaking to an international audience at a forum on "International Support for a Free and Unified Korea," Hyun Jin Preston Moon, an AKU founder, said that it was time for Koreans to take stock of where the country stood. "The Miracle on the Han has hit its peak and will face a sharp decline," he said. "There is urgent need for reform and renewal in every sphere of national life." He identified three major challenges facing Korea today. The first is the breakdown of the traditional Korean extended family model. The material prosperity generated by rapid economic growth, "without an animating vision rooted in some deeper national purpose," has eroded social and cultural bonds, he said. This has led to a drastic decline in marriage rates and family formation. South Korea now faces a demographic crisis with the lowest birthrate in the world. At 0.7 live births per woman, this is far below the replacement rate of 2.1 births, which will lead to a declining tax base to support welfare programs for the retired population. The second challenge is the chaebol system. Chaebols are the very large Korean conglomerates that dominate the economy and stifle innovation from start-ups. The four largest chaebols create 40% of gross domestic product, while, according to a 2019 report, 64 chaebols produced 84% of GDP while only employing 10% of the workforce. The third challenge is South Korea's export-led economy. Exports make up 44% of GDP, compared with 22% for Japan and 20% for China, according to figures for 2023. This makes Korea uniquely vulnerable to U.S. trade tariffs. The long-term answer is an expanded domestic market. Moon pointed out that reunification would provide development investment opportunities in the North, as well as a new labor source and market. He noted that these challenges call for "a unifying vision that can bring [Korea's] many disparate parts together rooted in a renewed Korean identity." The vision proposed has become known as the "Korean Dream." It aims to revive a strong sense of Korean identity, bridging political and ideological divides by looking to moments of unity and national purpose from the past. One such moment is the March 1 Independence movement of 1919 that mobilized 10% of the population in mass, non-violent demonstrations in support of the Korean Declaration of Independence from Japanese rule. The movement united people from diverse religious and political backgrounds in the common purpose of establishing a "united, independent and free" Korea. They, in turn, looked back to Korea's origin story and the principle identified with it, hongik ingan -- living for the greater benefit of humanity. This principle runs like a thread through Korean history, engendering a sense that the Korean people are called to serve a higher purpose. Moon made three proposals for the current South Korean government: • The previous administration had published the 8.15 Doctrine, a reunification platform heavily modeled on the Korean Dream. This administration should also adopt the Korean Dream vision. • The Ministry of Unification should be replaced by a non-governmental advisory committee to remove partisan politics from the unification agenda and ensure continuity. • The Korean Dream should be incorporated into the curriculum in all primary and secondary schools. Moon is the author of the book Korean Dream: A Vision for Unification. AKU is the largest coalition of civil society organizations committed to the advancement of Korea reunification. The forum drew together former heads of state and government officials, policy experts and scholars, religious leaders and civil society activists from around the world. Sessions focused on different regions of the world and how each might contribute support and lessons learned to the reunification process. These included Latin America and Africa, the Indo-Pacific, Northeast Asia and the United States., plus the Korean diaspora and North Korean escapees. The forum is part of a larger event, the 2025 Korean Hangang Festa, that will culminate Friday evening with a public rally on the banks of the Han River. This will feature a concert highlighting the historic unification-themed "Song of the New Era" and a drone and light show. Chairperson Chung Un-chan, a former prime minister, said that the festival was more than just a celebration. "In a time marked by political polarization and ideological conflict, this festival aspires to serve as a catalyst for overcoming division and rediscovering the shared values that can guide us toward a unified future."
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Citizens' movement promotes renewed Korean politics and reunification
May 4 (UPI) -- While the divided and dysfunctional South Korean political system is preparing for the June 3 election of a new president after the impeachment of President Seok-yeol Yoon, Korean citizen activists are looking beyond that event. They are promoting a new politics with a broader sense of national purpose that rises above current party politics. This was the message Inteck Seo, co-chair of Action for Korea United (AKU) in South Korea brought to a gathering of representatives of Korean-American organizations in the DC Metro area at the Capitol Visitors' Center on Saturday. AKU is the largest coalition of civil society groups in South Korea promoting reunification. The event was held to mark the 80thyear of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule. Seo argued that the three pillars on which the North Korean regime had stood - management of the entire economy, ideological control, and the politics of fear - were all crumbling. "The regime is on the brink of collapse," he said, "and we have to prepare for that future." "North Korea recognizes that it can no longer compete with the South," he said. As a result it abandoned the long-standing goal of Korean reunification led by the North earlier this year. Seo cited the U.S. Declaration of Independence which laid out the foundational principle that "all men are created equal and endowed by the Creator" with fundamental rights and freedoms, before listing the particular complaints against the British Crown. The movement for Korean reunification, likewise, needed to begin with a vision and principles that Koreans in the South could unite around before considering methods and processes. The roots of that vision that he called the Korean Dream were to be found in Korea's ancient, pre-division culture, he suggested. In particular the principle of Hongikingan, living to "broadly benefit all mankind "connected Koreans with their past and with the ideals of the Korean Independence movement of the early 20th century. He proposed that a new, unified Korea should be a model liberal democracy with a system of checks and balances; a moral free market economy; a free press; an educational system that cultivated ethical character and a spirit of public service; and freedom of religion and conscience. The examples of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King showed the power of citizens' movements to spark major cultural and political change. Seo noted that German unification was not a top-down process but was initiated from the bottom-up. Change in Korea would be launched in the same way. He urged Korean-American civil society groups to support the work of AKU in advancing reunification. Fellow keynote speaker Morse Tan, former U.S. Ambassador for Global Criminal Justice, noted that in that role he had dealt with terrible atrocities in many countries but North Korea was by far the worst. It had a history of "sadness, oppression, and injustice." "Many of North Korea's problems could be solved through reunification," he added, mentioning human rights and freedoms, and military and nuclear issues. Dr. Suzanne Scholte, President of the North Korean Freedom Foundation, urged a human rights upfront policy towards North Korea by the U.S. government. Her organization engages with people in North Koreat through information broadcast by Free North Korean Radio, staffed by North Korean escapees. It also smuggles in flash drives, SD cards, and radios. David Maxwell, former U.S. Special Forces Colonel who served in Korea, and regular UPI contributor, noted that 30 years of U.S. diplomacy focused on North Korean denuclearization had totally failed in its goal. He proposed the motto "unification first, the denuclearization." Unification policy should be pursued through a focus on human rights and a campaign to flow information into North Korea. The event was organized by Alliance for Korea United-USA and the Congressional host was Rep. Young Kim, CA. Seo now travels to the West coast where he will meet with leaders of Korea organizations in the Seattle area.
