Unification: historical ideal and moral obligation

Seo In-taek

Let's make the 80th anniversary of liberation a "Year of the Second March 1st Movement for Unification." Although we currently live divided into North and South, we are one people who have walked together through a long history of half a millennium. Despite the numerous invasions and hardships, we have maintained our identity as one people because we share a deep-rooted consciousness that we are all descendants of Dangun. Our founding ancestor, Dangun, instilled in our nation the ideal of Hongik Ingan, meaning to broadly benefit humanity. Achieving a country where this spirit is realized is what we call the historical ideal and aspiration of our people, the "Korean Dream."

Based on this great spirit, our ancestors developed a unique language and culture, distinguished from other ethnicities, and traditions based on high moral principles throughout a long history. Consequently, the Korean people have lived with a community spirit that is unparalleled in world history. This consciousness of viewing our special people as a united community of destiny has been the driving force for national integration, overcoming countless adversities and trials.

This great ideal of the Korean people led to the rise of our nation with the will to establish an independent country during the Japanese colonial era in the 20th century. This was the March 1st Independence Movement of 1919, where the entire nation rose up. The March 1st Movement, the first non-violent resistance movement in world history, was a movement to realize an autonomous state where the ideal of Hongik Ingan was fulfilled. As the Declaration of Independence proclaimed, the independent state our people aspired to was not just for the survival of our nation but to contribute to world peace and human equality. Through the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, it was clearly stated that the new independent state would be a modern democratic republic based on the founding spirit of Hongik Ingan, not a return to a feudal monarchy. The Korean Dream was the foundation of our ancestors' noble independence movement.

The desire for independence of our ancestors was to be realized with the liberation on August 15th. However, the emergence of communism divided the independence movement. We faced liberation in a divided state. The onset of the international Cold War drew a dividing line on the Korean Peninsula, and the extreme ideological confrontation within the nation eventually led to the tragic result of the Korean War. Along with the indelible scars of war, the division became entrenched.

The Republic of Korea, which chose liberal democracy, achieved astonishing economic growth known as the Miracle on the Han River and democratization. If true liberation had been achieved instead of division, such accomplishments would have been realized across the entire Korean Peninsula. Sadly, 80 years after liberation, our compatriots in the North still cannot escape a slave-like life under the most vicious dictatorship on Earth, suffering severe economic hardships. We can no longer close our eyes and remain silent to the cries and sufferings of our Northern compatriots. Therefore, unification is a moral obligation of our time and a mandate of history.

However, before discussing unification, we must first clearly establish and gain nationwide consensus on the vision of unification. What kind of unified country do we aim to achieve? The unification movement starts by clarifying the ideal of a unified country based on the long-standing aspirations of our half-millennium history and the ideals of the independence movement. A strong vision is the driving force that overcomes reality and brings about change.

So, what kind of country is the new one where the Korean Dream is realized through unification? In short, it is a country where the ideal of Hongik Ingan is realized, guaranteeing inherent freedom and human rights to all citizens of both South and North Korea without exception. It is also a country that provides opportunities for economic prosperity and success, where everyone can freely pursue their dreams. This nation will combine the strengths of Eastern and Western civilizations, based on the identity of the Korean people, creating new innovations and serving as a moral example to the world, contributing to world peace and prosperity, and realizing our destiny of broadly benefiting humanity.

The historical opportunity to realize the dream of a free and peaceful unified Korea has come before us. The longing for freedom among North Korean residents and the desire for unification have never been higher. However, the prison door cannot be opened from within.

Thus, on the 80th anniversary of Liberation, we propose to start a broad citizen unification movement that transcends political factions, ideologies, religions, and regions, marking a new turning point in the unification movement. All great changes in history have started from grassroots movements. We plan to launch a large-scale event from the South, to the overseas Korean communities, and finally to our compatriots in the North, declaring that division cannot be accepted as the fate of our people. We call this the 80th Anniversary Korean Dream Ten Million Campaign and are preparing it in solidarity with various civil society organizations. We will hold an event at Imjingak in Paju on September 28th this year to prepare for next year's Ten Million Campaign.

We hope to meet all of you at the Korean Dream Unification Practice March to be held at Imjingak on September 28th this year. We hope to show the world that unification is not just the dream of a few but the dream of everyone.

Mr. Seo In-taek has been actively involved as the standing chairman of Action for Korea United since 2014, which was formed to promote a citizen-led unification movement. In 2015, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Liberation Day, he successfully organized the "New Era Unification Song Campaign," featuring numerous KPOP stars, including BTS. The song "One Dream One Korea," created at that time, is the most beloved unification song among youths. Currently, he serves as the organizing chairman for the Korean Dream Ten Million Campaign, preparing for a widespread citizen-led unification movement akin to the historic March 1st Movement, in anticipation of the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day.