“The Era of a Great Turning Point – A Search for a New Way of Forming a Global Consensus on One Korea”

(left to right) Six-time Grammy award-winning team Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Grammy-winning singer Peabo Bryson, Hitoshi Yoshioka, vice-president of Metropolis and Michael Martin, President of Undercover INC. CEO

International experts agreed a peaceful resolution to the over 70-year division of the Korean peninsula is a global imperative at the Global Peace Leadership Convention held at the Korean National Assembly Hall in Seoul. Academics,

human rights advocates, religious, civic and national leaders convened at the conference entitled “The Era of a Great Turning Point – A Search for a New Way of Forming a Global Consensus on One Korea” on December 7, 2016.

In his speech, renown scholar of geopolitics and UNESCO Peace Chair, Professor Madhav Das Nalapat, warned of a possibility of a second Korea War. “The world has around four more years before the two halves holding a noble people either get reunified or a situation gets created in which the international community will need to decapitate the regime in Pyongyang for the survival of stability in Asia,” he said in his analysis of the situation of the Korean peninsula.

(bottom row left to right) executive director of the Committee of Human Rights in North Korea, Greg Scarlatoiu,scholar of geopolitics and UNESCO Peace Chair, Professor Madhav Das Nalapat, founder and director of the AsiaInstitute in Seoul, Emanuel Pastreich.

American think tank professor and executive director of the Committee of Human Rights in North Korea Greg Scarlatoiu emphasized the need for international concern and action to address human rights violations in North Korea. Emanuel Pastreich, founder and director of the Asia Institute in Seoul commented on the economic possibilities of Korean reunification, possibly making Korea a new global powerhouse.

Global Peace Foundation Vice President of Outreach and Strategic Partnerships David Caprara explored ways to expand the global consciousness for 1 Korea, highlighting the timely and effective approach of Action for Korea’s civic-led movement. He called for engagement of the Korean diaspora, youth, K-pop icons, the scholarly community and economic stakeholders to work together in a concerted effort to support Korean reunification.

Six-time Grammy award-winning producing team Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis joined the One Korea Global Campaign

A second panel featured six-time Grammy award-winning producing team Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis who have worked with artists including Prince and Janet Jackson, and Grammy-winning singer Peabo Bryson and other colleagues from the international music industry including Hitoshi Yoshioka, vice-president of Metropolis and Michael Martin, President of Undercover INC. C.E.O. The team expressed their excitement to find ways to use music as a catalyst to bridge the political divide on the peninsula and generate global engagement towards a peaceful resolution.

The One Korea Global Campaign which includes the cultural movement for Korean reunification was launched at the Action for Korea United leader’s assembly later that day.

The current political challenges in South Korea that were underscored by the peaceful civilian protests that began in late October, as well as the ongoing difficulties in the North present an opportunity for the Korean people to reflect and define their shared vision for their people and nation. GPF has championed the “Korea Dream” as a vision based on values shared by the Korean people prior to their division as a common starting point for engagement both in North and South Korea and the world. GPF founder and chairman Dr. Hyun Jin Moon outlines this vision and approach to peaceful reunification in his book “Korean Dream, A Vision for a Unified Korea.”