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Y. Yun: Address to Summit 2022, Session III
Written by Dr. Yun Young-ho, director-general, UPF International
Friday, August 12, 2022
Address to Summit 2022 and Leadership Conference,
Seoul, Korea, August 11-15, 2022
Respected Excellencies, peace-loving world leaders, ladies and gentlemen: My name is Dr. Yun Young-ho, co-chair of the Organizing Committee of the Summit 2022 and Leadership Conference.
It is my great honor to address you today on behalf of our host and founder, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon.
Welcome to Korea. Welcome to the Summit 2022 and Leadership Conference.
Many of you have come a long way in order to participate in person, and millions of others are participating virtually through two-way live stream or through various broadcasts and social media networks.
I am very pleased to meet all of you. My heart is so moved. Thank you so much for attending today’s event.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a challenge for all citizens around the world. Today’s world is characterized by despair more than hope, suffering more than happiness, conflict and discord more than harmony.
The last World Summit 2022 provided the world with hope about a lasting world of peace and realizing peace on the Korean Peninsula. So today’s event on this victorious foundation will become a precious cornerstone for the heavenly unified Korea and heavenly unified world.
Respected heads of state and peace-loving leaders from around the world: The global pandemic has caused serious damage to all areas of life, including politics, economy, health and welfare. Moreover, we are moving toward a world marked by division and conflict rather than harmony and mutual prosperity, with policies that prioritize our country and our people focusing on "national egocentrism."
Various problems centered on the Korean Peninsula, the only divided country in the world, caused by the struggle for supremacy between the power nations in the Pacific Rim, as well as the Russian invasion of Ukraine that began on February 24, have heralded the new arrival of the Cold War.
Furthermore, the United States, which defines China as the only country that is fundamentally harmful to international order, based on liberal norms beyond the "economic hegemonic struggle," is engaged in a "value hegemonic struggle" based on the "value alliance," while China struggles for supremacy in all directions. This is causing serious concerns to citizens of peace around the world who long for a world of everlasting peace.
Respected peace-loving leaders: Peace is the dream and vision for us all. In today's context, “peace” is no longer a longing or aspiration for an ideal state but a necessary condition for human survival. The daring pride that created the weapons of mass destruction that will bring humanity to an end in an instant due to human selfishness and greed; the silent accusations and warning of an end by nature, which has endured the pain of development perpetrated by human beings in the name of divine creation – all such innocent cries are calling out for a great shift in our paradigm for "peace."
For this reason, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, co-founder of the Universal Peace Federation, spoke on the conflicts and divisions that have prevailed on the Korean Peninsula as well as around the world, including problems of human society to environmental issues. She emphasized that the fundamental solution to the realization of a world of everlasting peace, where interdependence, mutual prosperity, and universal values are realized, is possible only when the ideal of one family is realized under God, who is the fundamental parent of humankind, as our Heavenly Parent.
For unity beyond the division and confrontation of ideologies rooted in nation, race, religion, and culture, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon advocated the vision of a heavenly unified Korea and a heavenly unified world centering on the headwing ideology of “Godism,” not communism or democracy.
The Universal Peace Federation has held summits on a continental level since 2018, based on the establishment of the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace in 2016 and the Interreligious Association for Peace and Development in 2017. By holding dozens of summits across all continents of the world, including Africa, Latin America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, we drew support from top leaders and heads of state for the realization of a world of everlasting peace and the peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula. World Summit 2020 was held in Seoul with over 10,000 experts from different sectors of professions, including 120 current and former heads of state.
Even in the midst of the COVID pandemic, through the newly developed online platform Peace Link we hosted dozens of Rallies of Hope in connection with state-run and private broadcasts, with billions of people participating online from around the world. In addition, Think Tank 2022 was launched, a knowledge solidarity network consisting of 2,022 experts from around the world, including heads of state from the International Summit Council for Peace and parliamentarians from the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace, laying the foundation for an uninterrupted journey to a heavenly unified Korea and a heavenly unified world.
Based on the foundation of Think Tank 2022, the World Summit 2022 for Peace on the Korean Peninsula was held from February 11 to 14, 2022, with the support and participation of 157 representative countries that have diplomatic relations with the two Koreas. This served as a venue for national unity and international cooperation for the peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula.
H.E. Ban Ki-moon, the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations, and H.E. Hun Sen, the Cambodian prime minister and current chair of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), co-chaired World Summit 2022. Along with prominent leaders of Korea, the following heads of state from around the world supported the summit.
H.E. Donald Trump, former president of the United States
H.E. Macky Sall, president of Senegal and chair of the African Union
H.E. Muhammadu Buhari, president of Nigeria
H.E. George Weah, president of Liberia
H.E. Michel Temer, former president of Brazil
H.E. Jimmy Morales, former president of Guatemala
H.E. José Manuel Barroso, former president of the European Commission
H.E. Ilir Meta, former president of Albania
H.E. Dominique de Villepin, former prime minister of France
H.E. Gloria Arroyo, former president of the Philippines
H.E. Albin Kurti, prime minister of Kosovo
H.E. Shinzo Abe, former prime minister of Japan
Eighty-five renowned heads of state attended as keynote speakers, and, representing Think Tank 2022, former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and American investor Jim Rogers attended the summit.
The summit, which was held in a hybrid format, was attended by over 2 million distinguished leaders from all walks of life. The summit was an unprecedented victory, with 3,517 state-run and private broadcasts and over 3 billion views from around the world.
In particular, all the leaders who attended the summit supported the peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula with one heart and adopted the Seoul Resolution with the objective of “One Peninsula, One People, One Culture.” Under the expanded objective of "One Planet, One Humanity, and One Global Culture of Peace," the Seoul Declaration wishes to take a new quantum jump to legislate for each country and continent under the name of Universal Peace Charter at this Summit 2022 and Leadership Conference.
For this purpose, this Summit 2022 and Leadership Conference will include keynote speeches by top leaders and an inauguration ceremony for the Universal Peace Charter, which will be the cornerstone of a lasting world of peace and the peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula.
At this inauguration ceremony, representing youth from around the world who will be the heroes of our future generation, are 25 ministers of youth together with H.E. Brigi Rafini, executive secretary of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD). (Loud applause.)
Respected leaders: I am confident that the realization of a world of everlasting peace and the establishment of the peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula surely will be achieved.
A dream by one person is just a dream, but a dream shared by many becomes a vision and a reality. We pray that our dreams of a heavenly unified Korea and a heavenly unified world will become a vision and a reality.
In particular, this year marks the 10th anniversary of the holy ascension of Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon, the co-founder of the Universal Peace Federation. Although 10 years have passed, we can still remember the life of Reverend Moon, who lived his life as a “pioneer of peace and unification.”
Reverend Moon, who devoted his life to changing politics and changing ideology in search of a shortcut to a world of peace, met President Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union and tried to reconcile communism and democracy. He also met with North Korean President Kim Il Sung to negotiate the peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula.
In addition, he traveled to the morally crumbling United States and served as a firefighter to awaken the Puritan spirit, immersing himself in preventing world conflicts. He also entered the Palestinian region to build a ground for reconciliation. Although astronomical funds have been invested in these numerous activities for a world of peace, not a single penny was spent on himself.
Until the end of his life, he said, “Shed light to the motherland. Fight till death, give all your life. Live up to your faith. Aju!” He repeated those words as his will, and dreamed of the reunification of the Korean Peninsula, the nation of the providence.
I would like to give a big round of applause to Rev. Sun Myung Moon, who has left us with this noble inheritance of peace and unification, and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, who continues to expand his achievements. (Applause.)
Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to express my condolences to the great leader of peace, Japan’s former prime minister, H.E. Shinzo Abe, who passed away unexpectedly on July 8. Let us take a moment to pay tribute to the deceased.
As everyone knows, Prime Minister Abe dedicated his life to the development of Japan, as well as Northeast Asia, and furthermore, to a world of everlasting peace. Thus, the life and achievements of the prime minister are engraved in the hearts of not only Japanese people but also peace-loving global citizens around the world.
In particular, he gave a video speech at the Rally of Hope in September 2021 with the title “Peaceful Reunification of the Korean Peninsula” and also at the World Summit 2022 for Peace on the Korean Peninsula in February of this year held with the support and participation of 157 representative countries with diplomatic relations with the two Koreas. He delivered a grand vision for everlasting world peace with current and former heads of state from the United States, G20 (Group of Twenty) and 85 other nations.
After hearing the sad news of the sudden passing of the prime minister, UPF expressed our condolences along with the peace leaders who loved and respected the prime minister by visiting the memorial altars prepared at Japanese embassies around the world.
We also took the time to mourn Prime Minister Abe with several world leaders who attended the regional International Leadership Conferences which was held at the continental level around the world.
And today once again, I would like to have a moment of our time to mourn and remember him with all the leaders in attendance.
In relation to the death of the prime minister, although there is distorted public opinion about this connection, we believe that our sincere heart will be transmitted and the truth will be revealed. We will endure with respect, and with respect to the deceased, we will take time to remember him with peace leaders around the world.
Once again I will end my opening remarks by thanking our distinguished guests and world leaders who have come here in spite of the COVID pandemic and various other circumstances.
Thank you!
To go to the World Summit 2022 Schedule page, click here.