Today I'd like to introduce an article regarding HWPL Chairperson's commemorative speech for the 9th Annual Commemoration of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War :)
Hello everyone. It’s nice to meet you. I hope this gathering today will bear beautiful fruit.
Our country has historically been small, poor, and isolated. Each nation has made us suffer in this way, but we have not yet perished. We are still alive. As long as the heaven exists, we too will exist. What is it that we hope and wish for? What does HWPL speak of and advocate for? It is cessation of war and world peace. We have made great efforts toward global peace and the cessation of war.
I have met with all presidents, prime ministers, and at least five key figures from each country, extending even to remote island nations around the world. When meeting with them, what I never forgot to do, and what created the closest relationship, was establishing brotherhood ties. Since we are brothers, we become like people from the same country, the same ethnicity, the same family. And we have discussed ways to achieve global peace. However, since the COVID pandemic hit, we haven’t been able to continue these efforts. Before that, I traveled to various countries, including island nations, working to achieve peace. As you well know, in the Mindanao conflict in the Philippines, many people died. Many people suffered greatly. For 40 years, neither the government nor any power or weapons could resolve this conflict. So, I went there.
Why did I go? I went for the cessation of war and peace, saying ‘Let’s go.’ When I arrived there, there was also a large university. So, I went to the university to speak, and afterward, I went out to the streets and shouted alongside the students. That’s what happened. But people, not just a few people died, many people died. Is that all? Did the war end? It did not end. To make these people understand, there were truly many righteous things to be done, but these people were really good people. They were also people who, like us, hated war. And we achieved the cessation of war and peace in that country.
After that, I continued traveling to various countries around the world, forming brotherhood ties with presidents, prime ministers, and other notable figures. Through this, we established that we are one, not two. Everyone, this is how we made global peace possible. If we cannot achieve peace in this global village, there is nothing but death. Before we say ‘We love our family. We love our neighbors. We love our children,’ I persuaded these people that if we truly love, we must achieve the cessation of war in this world. And with the same heart, we agreed to create a peaceful world together. Was this just for a day or two? We have been doing this for many days. We have done this even to reach remote island nations. All for the sake of achieving peace.
Looking at the Christian Bible, there are about 70 passages about peace that appear there. There, peace. In the religious world too, there are examples of people shedding blood and making efforts for peace. But the human world must be protected by the human world. It speaks of peace. We must protect it. Who will protect it for us? Therefore, transcending all religions and all powers, we agreed to join hands solely for the cessation of war and peace in this global village, becoming brothers and sisters, becoming family, becoming one. And we have proceeded. In a very big way. We didn’t just start small and then give up. To that end, with the thought that we religious people should first show the light, religions too have worked to become one within this word ‘peace.’ Those who have worked with me in our country will all know this. But something unwanted, COVID came and interrupted this. It has been interrupted until now. However, we believe that peace will be achieved in even better ways going forward.
Everyone, we are not strangers to this peace. We are the parties concerned, and we ourselves are peace. So let us ensure that this global village is led to a peaceful world. We must do so.
And another point is that our Republic of Korea is a poor country and a small country. Isn’t it a country that has suffered greatly due to foreign powers? It is so. Such a country has now been torn into two parts again by foreign powers. A small country, this small country has been split in two. And we are fighting. Can peace be achieved this way? I believe this should not continue.
We are fighting because unification has not occurred. Another point is, why is it that our people, who have suffered so much at the hands of foreign powers, are blocked from traveling to our own country while people freely go to East Germany, America, Russia, and everywhere else? Who is blocking this? It is not our citizens who have blocked it. Can’t we just travel freely? Isn’t free travel the same as unification? Even now, we must break down these barriers. To allow free travel. This is the shortcut to unification. That is what I believe. Meeting parents, meeting siblings, meeting neighbors, meeting friends – wouldn’t this be the faster way to achieve unification? It is so. Should countries become enemies with each other and ethnicities become enemies with each other? Should it be this way?
It should not be this way. We should travel back and forth and communicate with each other. Isn’t it because we haven’t done this that we are fighting, waging war, and shooting at each other? Why must we point guns at the hearts of our own people? Why must we kill our own people? Should there be such division among the same ethnic group in this country that has experienced suffering and death at the hands of foreign powers until now? Everyone, think about it. What would our descendants in the future say if they could see us today? Would they not say that there were no people, no adults in this day and age? That is what I’m saying. Therefore, we must first open the path for travel between North and South. Yes, we must.
I believe there absolutely must be free movement between the two sides. That’s right. What kind of country is our country? What kind of people are we? We are a very strong, resilient, and remarkable country and people. These are people who know how to stand tall again even after being trampled by the world for decades and centuries. Therefore, I believe that our country must achieve unification on our own, without interference from foreign powers. It must be so. In such a unification, foreign powers should absolutely not allow military force to intervene in unification. Since we are human beings after all, I believe we must achieve unification through dialogue.
In my heart, the purpose was to go to North Korea and achieve unification because we are the same people. This should continue to be the case in the future. Everyone, our country is a very small country. It’s a country that has suffered greatly and endured much sorrow due to foreign powers. Shouldn’t we become one now, for this is the country our ancestors passed down to us? Isn’t this the people our ancestors passed down to us? We must become one. And let us work together. They say there is nothing that cannot be accomplished with effort. Certainly, our country will be unified.
As people of this nation, as descendants of this country, we must unify even if only to become a shining light that illuminates the whole world. Everyone, this is how it must be. Our country should become a monument that is known to the whole world. A monument of peace, that is. A monument of peace, right. That is what we should do. In this way, let us create good deeds so that future generations will rejoice and even our souls will be able to rejoice. Right?
Everyone, I would like to meet you frequently. Since God created this global village and also created people, if these people go wrong, God’s heart will not be at ease, so please take care of all these people. Also, give us hearts that can understand all these promises that God has made. That’s what I will pray for. So let us do well together eternally in the future. Let us fulfill our hopes. Heaven will be with us. Yes, thank you.
