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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."
