Declaration For One United Korea
On this 70th anniversary of the liberation and the division of Korea, we,
the people and friends of Korea, declare that:
Korean unification is inevitable. We are one people in one land who have shared a common history and culture for millennia. Reunification of the Korean Peninsula is a profound aspiration in the hearts of the Korean people, and a national destiny that supersede 70 years of separation and all differences of ideology and government systems.
Korean unification is desirable. The suffering of people in North Korea and the continuing anguish of separated families cry out for a concerted response from the civilized world. Nuclear threats destabilize the security of Northeast Asia in particular and the world in general. Meanwhile the people of South Korea seek a pathway to transcend materialism and dysfunctional political divides. Building One Korea offers a fundamental solution to all these problems and will advance peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia to the benefit of the world at large.
Korean unification is now achievable. In the past century Korea endured colonization and then division, at the hands of more powerful nations. Today, for the first time in modern history, Korean people possess the political and economic power to determine their own future, together with growing global support for the establishment of One Korea. We are at a historic crossroads. Set against the enormous challenges of ending the division and creating a new nation, we have an opportunity to achieve a true greatness that history rarely accords to any people. Now is the time to build a national consensus for a shared vision of One Korea on the foundation of Korean identity and a common destiny and to garner international support for it.
The Korean people share one dream: To live in One Korea we can all be proud of. Since time immemorial, the Korean people have longed for a model country; one guided by universal principles, shared moral values, and the rule of law, guaranteeing the basic human rights and freedoms endowed to all people by the Creator, as the foundation for a just and prosperous society. In realizing such a model, One Korea will become a strong, sovereign nation that acts as a peacemaker, committed to resolving conflict in Northeast Asia and the wider world. It will be a 21st century leader as a compassionate, humane nation acting with concern for posterity, and as a responsible steward of the earth.
One Korea will benefit all and threaten none. Korea has never invaded another country in its entire history. The love of peace lies deep in our heritage. Therefore, One Korea will foster new guiding principles for peace in the 21st century through integrating the values of East and West, and soften the sharp edges of global power confrontations. One Korea will offer a powerful example, especially for developing nations, of a traditional society that has advanced by embracing the positive aspects of modernity while seeking to retain the enduring values of the past.
For Korea, those values are expressed in the principle of Hong-Ik Ingan (????/????: Living for the benefit of all humanity). Since the very origin of Korea, it has been embedded in the hearts, minds, customs, and traditions of the Korean people. It offers a broad, guiding philosophy for One Korea where “Hong-Ik Democracy” will offer a 21st Century model of government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
Inspired by this vision of One Korea we, the undersigned, submit the following proposals for adoption and support by ALL:
- We encourage initiatives to awaken understanding of the principles that have shaped Korea’s distinctive heritage in order to strengthen national and international resolve to bring about One Korea.
- We support efforts to start and sustain co-prosperity projects to build infrastructure that allows ordinary people in North Korea to improve their living standards through their own efforts. We advocate people-to-people contact through cultural exchanges, joint service projects and other initiatives that can rebuild connections between Koreans of north and south.
- We call on our brethren in North Korea to embrace the program for co-prosperity so that both South and North can cooperate to improve the lives of ordinary people. Let us prosper together, thus building a bridge towards peaceful unification when the people themselves can decide how they wish to govern themselves.
- We urge the eight million Korean people living outside of the Korean Peninsula to dedicate themselves to the global movement toward One Korea and call on Korean compatriots abroad to mobilize the substantive support of their adopted lands.
- We appeal to the governments and people of all nations, and in particular the United States, the People’s Republic of China, Japan, Russia, and Mongolia, to actively co-operate in advancing Korean unification as the key to the joint security and mutual prosperity of all the nations of the Northeast Asia region and the Pacific rim.
- We call for multi-national entities, such as the United Nations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the World Health Organization, and international non-governmental organizations, to provide advice and assistance especially during the challenging transitional period to assure the success of One Korea.
Therefore, at this historic juncture, we do solemnly declare that the Korean people shall be, justly and by right, one family, one people, and one nation. We will work together to realize the dream of One Korea, fulfilling our historical destiny, and establishing a shining example for generations to come.
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