MANNAM Volunteer Association in South Korea 5: Declaration of Unification

  These days, international societies are worrying about Korean Peninsula, especially the escalating tension between South Korea and North Korea. Some of friends not in Korea may send messages or call their friends in Korea and ask if they feel the sign of war. This issue is being covered in daily news every day and it makes me worry about Korea and think of the past histories of Korea and Korean War. A few of person argue the war between two Koreas then Korean Peninsula will be reunified. However, is it the best way of reunification?

  War with the arms – nuclear weapons, chemical weapons, landmines, uranium munitions – causes countless victims to be killed or live in pain in their whole life. Especially, nuclear weapons – I’ll write about it later posts – are many times powerful than the Hiroshima bomb. Today’s typical bomb (150-kiloton) would cause between 730,000 and 8,660,000 deaths depending on the population density of the city.[1]

  Can you imagine what will happen in Korea if war breaks out? Why do we have to pay numerous deaths to reunify Korea although we can achieve peaceful unification?

  You may agree the reunification of Korea or not and you may agree peaceful unification or not. But the one thing that you keep in mind is that violence begets violence, terror inspires terror, and war gives rise to war. If Korea will not be unified, there is still the probability of a war in the world. And if Korea achieved unification through war, there is still the probability of a war, too!

  Recently, I read Declaration of Unification from MANNAM official website: mannamintl.org when visiting to see the newly updated site to get sources to introduce national events of our organization. It is worth reading. It was written by 33 representatives of citizens. The main representative writer is Man Hee Lee who is the honorary chairman of MANNAM Volunteer Association. Many controversies are there about him. The members never want a certain religious group to rule / occupy our MANNAM. Rather, whatever religions members have, MVA members try to tolerate one another and make harmonious life together. Despite of controversies around him, his experience of war and an insight into histories cannot be ignored.

Here are the parts of Declaration of Unification:

           …we are still pointing guns at people of our own race. How can this be the will of our forefathers, patriots and the Korean people today?
 First, just like East and West Germany, the leaders of South and North Korea must gather to discuss unification for the sake of this country and its citizens. This is not only the wish of the nation and its people but the peace the whole world whishes for. Second, if our leaders truly love this nation and its citizens, they will work to establish a unified nation the citizens with for and a country where people live happily in abundance. How can a nation which is divided stand with confidence in this world? The leaders of South and North Korea must ensure that the Korean Peninsula will not be shamed. Third, we must all lay down our weapons and allow our citizens to travel freely throughout the Korean Peninsula.

Peace cannot come from gun. How do you think? 

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[1] Mary-wynne Ashford & Guy Dauncey. (2006). Enough Blood Shed: 101 Solutions to Violence, Terror and War. Canada: New Society Publishers.