Thirty years ago, in November 1991, WFWP Co-Founders, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon and her husband, Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon, risked their lives and safety to visit North Korea in a historic reconciliation with Kim Il Sung. Putting aside their personal griefs, Father and Mother Moon embraced the North Korean people with a heart of love, service, and sacrifice. Mother Moon recalls in her memoir, “With joyful hearts, as representatives of the free world, we embraced enemies who had severely persecuted us. By our doing so, they were moved, and we could reconcile. Thus, we laid the foundation for unification and peace.”

In that spirit of rising above challenges and difficulties for the sake of reconciliation, the second GWPN Forum with WFWP Korea, Japan, and USA met under the theme of “Women’s Leadership in Reconciliation & Peacemaking.” This historic gathering on November 8, 2021 brought together experts and moving personal testimonies on the topic of “A United Korea: Rising Above Challenges.” Over 618 participants from 15 countries heard distinct perspectives on how to approach the myriad challenges to reuniting the Korean people. Though each panelist came from different backgrounds and different countries, the resounding message was clear: it is only through love as a family that reconciliation is possible.

After a warm welcome from moderator Mrs. Moriko Hori, President of WFWP Japan, Dr. Julia Moon, President of WFWP International, gave the Welcoming Remarks. She highlighted Mother Moon’s absolute determination to see her homeland reunited and families restored, including the many efforts both she and Father Moon have undertaken to that end. Reflecting back on that history of investment, Dr. Moon reminded the participants that in order to bring peaceful reunification, efforts must go beyond the political, we must see each other as family and find a heart of love for each other.

Mrs. Angelika Selle, President of WFWP USA, echoed Dr. Moon’s words which emphasized the role of women to build bridges of the heart. She quoted Mother Moon’s Memoir, “The world of the future can be a world of reconciliation and peace, but only if it is based on the maternal love and affection of women.” Though many would say peaceful reunification is impossible, the Korean Peninsula can indeed become a nation of reconciliation and peace, but only with a shift in our hearts and attitude and practicing the philosophy of living for the sake of others.

On that note of hope, the first panelist Mrs. Ryu Youn Kwon, shared her personal story of defecting from North Korea. There was not a dry eye as she spoke of heartache and suffering when her elder brother was arrested and abused after traveling to China to get food for the family. After another brother defected, Mrs. Ryu Youn Kwon was treated as an outcast by her peers, suffering discrimination and demoralization. Even after she finally was able to make her way to South Korea, she and her family faced bullying and misunderstandings. However, with a desire to help others facing similar challenges, she founded the KeumSaem After-School Class, which supports children who defected from the North and now live in the South. Her motivation to heal the wounds of others with a warm heart can truly serve as an inspiration for efforts for reunification.

The second panelist, Mr. Koji Iida, Representative Director of Uri Hana, gave his unique perspective as a Japanese person and his efforts to promote understanding between Japanese and Korean-Japanese people. There are approximately 800,000 Korean people living in Japan, many of whom came to Japan prior to the division of Korea. From his Korean-Japanese foster parents, Mr. Koji Iida developed a heart of sympathy for Korean-Japanese people and the difficulties they face in Japan, including discrimination and suspicion. Thus, his organization, Uri Hana, creates many opportunities for cross-cultural understanding and communication. Knowing each other’s history and hearts is the important first step for peace, he advocated.

Continuing on that theme, the third panelist was Teson Chon, a 3rd generation North Korean in Japan and graduate of a Choson School. Reunification is more than just a political and economic question, but it is deeply personal for many people. Mr. Chon shared about his own family and his grandfather who came to Japan during the Japanese occupation of Korea. Not wanting his family to face discrimination, he never shared about their Korean roots until his daughter, Mr. Chon’s mother, was an adult. She then founded the Choson School so that her children and other Korean-Japanese children could learn about their heritage and be proud of their identity. Even though Mr. Chon also experienced hate speech toward Koreans living in Japan, he encouraged dialogue and understanding. These young people who grew up with a heart of pride for both their Korean and Japanese identities can be a key for reunification.

Despite over 70 years of division, there is a possibility of reunification, as can also be seen in the example of the reunification of East and West Germany. The final panelist, Dr. Beatrice Bischof, Foreign Affairs Association in Munich, Germany, shared some key lessons from German reunification which could help with the case of Korea. She highlighted what helped Germany reunite was creating a strong, shared new national identity of unified Germany, such as through food and sports. For Germany, integrating into and gaining support from the wider region—the European Union—also helped with overcoming various challenges. Korea can also seek those opportunities to create a shared identity, built through shared experiences, heart, and love, which will help with facing economic or political issues.

After a lively question and answer session with the panelists, Mrs. Margie Moon, President of WFWP, West Central & Mid-eastern Region of Korea, gave a succinct closing statement. She especially highlighted the main theme throughout each of the excellent panelists’ presentations: We must go beyond diplomacy and into the realm of heart and love for our human family in order to bring about reconciliation and peace, in Korea and in the world. It is the women of this era who will help achieve peace, with the heart to listen, embrace, and understand others.

There are also several substantial ways to support these efforts of love, heart, and caring, including through the 1% Love Share Project. Mrs. Hori also introduced the transformative power of WFWP’s signature project, the Bridge of Peace, and its ability to bring together enemies and set the stage for reconciliation

We would like to thank all who attended, supported, and contributed to the success of this meaningful event. We hope that you will continue to seek ways to rise above challenges, so that we may build a thriving and connected human family. If you have yet to watch this profound forum, we encourage you to do so! Watch the Recording below or click on the following link: [video]

Comments from Participants

Thank you for a very informative and heartfelt—sometimes heartbreaking—webinar. Discrimination is such an unfortunate aspect of humankind. Let us all overcome! Let us love one another and bring about peace and unification. Thank you all for your profound investment.

Thank you to each one of you for this very significant webinar. I hope that we can help in the Peaceful reunification of Korea.

Such eye-opening stories! Blows my mind!

Thank you so much to all the speakers who shared the difficulties of our brothers and sisters throughout the world. May our relationships improve and bring about unity and love.

Informative and inspiring! Thanks to all the panelists, organizers. Looking forward to more.

All the presentations are educational, moving, and inspiring about the resilience of humanity toward goodness, hope and vision for Choson schools students and administration, for one united peaceful Korea. Thank you, God Bless You, and I will be praying for your important work to continue and lead the world forward with understanding.

Having experienced the division between East and West Germany through my family and being born in France I can relate to all of your testimonies, reminding me of what my father went through as well as my brothers and sisters during the war and after the war because of our names not being French etc.

WOW! Thank you for all you do. That was an amazing sharing of all that goes on in North Korea. We may think we have some understanding, but listening to you brought tears to my eyes. What an incredible life, hard to believe that humans do this to other humans.