USA-IMAP— “Dangun to Hallyu,” the first in a series of historical inquiries produced by IMAP to examine the cultural contributions of the Korean people, was aired on October 25th, 2022. Panelists included Dr. Sung-Bae Jin, president of the Hyojeong Academic Foundation in Korea, and senior leaders of the IMAP Group in North America, Mr. Ray Lipowean, Mr. Pierre Beauregard, and Mr. Hans Moyer.
Dr. Sung-Bae Jin focused his remarks on the historical importance of the King Dangun myth in Korean culture. King Dangun was the legendary founder and god-king of Gojoseon (also called Joseon), the first Korean Kingdom in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. Dr. Jin stated:
Dangun, the “Son of Heaven,” king and founder of Gojoseon, is the origin of much of what we call Korea’s tradition and legacy. The ancient tradition of Gojoseon, the first united Korea, was established by their great king: “Love God, Love Humanity, Love Nation.”
To this day, both North and South Korea regard October 3, the day when Dangun founded Gojoseon, as a national holiday.
Dr. Jin expressed gratitude to UPF’s co-founders, who have inherited the tradition of Dangun and the calling of Jesus Christ, and “have woven a strategy to reconcile our divided nation.”
Dr. Jin also spoke about the the “Miracle on the Han River,” which refers to Korea’s transformation from being a recipient of international aid to becoming a donor country. This phenomenal recovery following the Korean War, as well as “Hallyu,” Korea’s contemporary contribution to pop culture and entertainment, “testifies to the ardent passion, faithful perseverance, cleverness and gumption of our people,” he said.
The Korean unification issue is a complex matrix of geopolitics, ideology, history and culture. IMAP plans to continue hosting webinars on this topic and promote the peaceful reunification of the peninsula.