“I grew up in Kyoto,” recalled Eiko Kawasaki, her voice steady but eyes reflective. “My siblings spoke only Japanese. We lived like any other Japanese family. But one day, everything changed.”
At a quiet venue in Shibuya, Kawasaki shared her story during a special dialogue session hosted by Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Japan on May 18, 2025, as part of its 12th Peace Design Forum. A former North Korean defector, Kawasaki gave a deeply personal and rare account of her life, before and after her family joined the ill-fated “return to the homeland” project that sent thousands of Zainichi Koreans from Japan to North Korea during the Cold War era.
What they found, however, was far from the dream they were promised.
In North Korea, she said, even humor could be dangerous. “A classmate once farted in front of a portrait of Kim Il Sung,” she told the young audience, “And years later, he was punished after being reported. In North Korea, expressing a personal opinion could cost you your life.”
Despite these grim realities, Kawasaki spoke with quiet hope about the future. “The people of North Korea have high hopes for South Korea,” she said. “They’ve seen signs of economic progress, humanitarian support, and glimpses of freedom. I believe reunification will not be gradual; it will happen suddenly, like in Germany, when contradictions within the system reach their limit. That could happen tomorrow.”
Her words, grounded in experience and longing, resonated deeply with the audience, especially the youth who are increasingly seeking meaningful ways to contribute to peace in Asia.
Kawasaki’s story is just one among many that frame the urgency and human importance behind the Korean Dream 10 Million Campaign, a global initiative led by Global Peace Foundation to rally 10 million supporters worldwide around the vision of a peacefully unified Korea. This year, 2025, carries special weight. It marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, which divided the Korean Peninsula in the first place. It also commemorates the 60th anniversary of normalized diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea, a relationship that has seen both progress and tension but remains essential in the journey toward peace in Northeast Asia.
These milestones remind us that history is not static. And while wounds may linger, there is an opportunity to choose reconciliation, unity, and cooperation over continued division. It is in this spirit that GPF Japan is mobilizing citizens, from students to seasoned activists, to support the Korean Dream. This is a movement rooted in universal values, a dream shared by millions, and a vision for regional and global peace.
Eiko Kawasaki’s life was shaped by decisions made generations ago, but her message to today’s youth is clear: “Ask questions while you are still alive. Understand the truth. Carry the dream forward.”
Her courage and the hopes of millions more remind us that the Korean Dream is not just Korea’s dream. It belongs to all of us who believe that unity, peace, and dignity are not just ideals, but possible realities.
Join the movement. Be part of the Korean Dream. Sign your support for the Korean Dream: http://globalpeace.info/intl-for-one-korea.
