Leaders from over 80 organizations attend the 106th Anniversary Korean Dream Unification Action Conference and pose for a commemorative photo.
Some five hundred South Korean political, economic, and cultural leaders convened in the Grand Conference Hall of the National Assembly Office Building in Seoul to support ongoing reunification initiatives at the Korean Dream Unification Action Rally on March 5.
The rally was jointly hosted by the Citizens’ Organizing Committee of the Korean Dream Ten-Million Campaign, a GPF-led project, and National Assembly Member Uhm Tae-young. It was the latest of a host of GPF-backed initiatives, from expert conferences to grassroots education and cultural programs, seeking to build domestic and international support for a free and united Korea.
Among the key initiatives, the Korean Dream 10 Million Signature Campaign seeks to mobilize 10 million supporters for Korean reunification by the year 2025, the 80th anniversary of Korean independence from Japanese rule. The campaign has engaged advocates from across the globe to build support for peaceful reunification. The campaign was launched on August 15, 2023, at Seoul’s National Assembly Hall and is building toward an August 15, 2025, anniversary celebration.
August 15, National Liberation Day, is the only holiday jointly celebrated in both North and South Korea. It marks the day that Allied forces ended Japanese occupation of Korea at the conclusion of World War II and, in 1948, the day independent governments were established in the North and South.
A symbolic expression of unity of the two Koreas, the holiday is a reminder of both the human tragedy of the division and the enduring aspiration of all Koreans to embrace their shared culture and history as one united people.
Advancing the ‘Korean Dream’
In their congratulatory addresses, speakers emphasized the “Korean Dream” vision for the unification of the Korean peninsula, which underscores the Korean people’s shared history and culture and the role of civil society to ultimately bring peace and prosperity to Northeast Asia. The Korean Dream was originally introduced by GPF Chairman Dr. Hyun Jin Moon in 2012 and expanded with an analysis of Korea’s founding and history in his 2014 book, Korean Dream: Vision of a Unified Korea.
Distinguished attendees included Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Joo Ho-young; Secretary-General of the National Unification Advisory Council Thae Yong-ho; Chairman of the Association of Families of Independence Patriots Kim Sam-yeol, Kim Choong-hwan, co-Chairman of Action for Korea United; and Kim Dong-su, a standing committee member of the National Unification Advisory Council and former North Korean diplomat.
Speakers also advocated for the human and civil rights of Korean living in the North, drawing upon the spirit of the March 1st Movement and Korea’s founding philosophy of Hongik Ingan (“to live for the benefit of humanity”).
Chairman of the Korean Dream Ten-Million Campaign Committee Seo In-taek presented the vision and outlined strategic plans for advancing the initiative. He analyzed North Korea’s current reality, international affairs, and South Korea’s political landscape, underscoring that the realization of the Korean Dream would be driven by the will and power of the Korean people.
As a highlight of the campaign, he announced plans to host an international leaders’ conference and a large-scale Unification Festival on the Han River on August 15. This event will feature a record-breaking drone show with approximately 5,000 drones, promising to be the largest and most spectacular of its kind, demonstrating the collective strength and aspirations of Korean citizens.
The conference also featured celebratory performances by the Pyongyang Art Troupe, artist Hwang Woo-yeon, and singer Jeon Hyang-jin, along with an artistic performance symbolizing commitment to unification.
Learn more about the Global Peace Foundation’s work to advance a movement for a free, prosperous, and unified Korea.
