Reunified Korea a ‘Force for Good’ to the World
Countless flags and prayer ribbons cover DMZ barbed wire fence (FFWPU-USA)
For 73 years, the historical divide between North and South Korea has had an immeasurable impact on countless lives worldwide.
August 15 marks the anniversary of a pivotal point in world history when the Republic of South Korea was established in 1948, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) was established in the north soon after.
Today, through Think Tank 2022, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, cofounder of Family Federation for World Peace (FFWPU), is working with 10 governors of South Korean provinces–among other leaders of various nations–who support the vision of a peaceful, unified Korea and world.
“International cooperation and solidarity is needed now more than ever,” said former Republic of Korea Prime Minister Chung Sye-Kyun, who was among the speakers of the 6th Rally of Hope in May and praised the timeliness of Think Tank 2022.
Natives of modern day North Korea, FFWPU’s cofounding couple recount harrowing stories of fleeing the war-torn country in Rev. Moon’s autobiography, As a Peace-Loving Global Citizen, and Dr. Moon’s memoir, Mother of Peace. These life-changing experiences spurred their heartfelt desire to reunify the peninsula as they dedicated their lives to uniting all people as one global family under God.
“If the Korean Peninsula can be reunified and become one people, and if all of the Asia Pacific can be united into a heavenly civilization and connect the entire world, we can become a force for good that will expand to all of the continents and oceans of the world,” said Dr. Moon in her address during the 5th Rally of Hope in March.
Dr. Moon continues to champion reunifying Korea through various global peacebuilding initiatives such as the Rally of Hope virtual series and Think Tank 2022, which bring together international leaders, experts, and advocates for peace. In her memoir, she also shares about Peace Road, which was launched with her husband in 1981 to bridge the two Koreas and the rest of the world.
“The vision [for Peace Road] is for a high-speed transportation artery linking the entire globe,” she wrote. “On the day of its completion, much of our world will become one village linked by one road. The process of constructing the highway itself provides the world’s peoples and governments a common purpose. The transnational lines of commerce and recreation that open up will stimulate inter-ethnic exchange of culture and goods, and draw us to live in harmony as neighbors.”
Rev. and Dr. Moon long talked about uniting the Korean Peninsula as a critical part of achieving peace by creating an interdependent, interconnected, and harmonious world. In 1991, they first met with late North Korean founder and leader Kim Il Sung for unprecedented peace talks.
“As I set foot in Pyongyang, my heart was as clear as the autumn sky. I did not feel that I was entering the house of my enemy, but rather that I was returning to my hometown to visit the house of my brother,” said Rev. Moon following his visit to North Korea. “I carried with me to North Korea the principle that I have always lived by, and that is to forgive, love, and unite.”
On this anniversary of the Korean Peninsula’s split, let’s support Rev. and Dr. Moon’s endeavors and ceaseless efforts to create a world of lasting peace, beginning with the reunification of Korea.
You can get involved by joining the 2021 Peace Road campaign here, and learn about a special 2022 pilgrimage to Korea here.
