'Kim Dae-jung Peace Conference' Held in Mokpo, the Holy Land of Democratization

Various Events Including Eve Festival Prepared at Peace Plaza on the 26th

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Seung-hyun Jeong] The '2021 Kim Dae-jung Peace Conference' will be held on the 26th in Mokpo, Jeonnam, the sacred place of democratization.

According to the city, this peace conference will be held under the slogan "Beyond COVID-19 Towards World Peace," starting with a pre-event at Peace Square at 6 p.m. on the 26th, and continuing from the 27th to the 28th at the Samhakdo Kim Dae-jung Nobel Peace Prize Memorial Hall.

The pre-event will begin with the screening of the documentary "The Flower of Peace Bloomed in Jeonnam," which depicts the life of President Kim Dae-jung, followed by a Peace Smile Countdown performance, a grand peace chorus by the Mokpo City Choir, Jindo Arirang, a peace concert by the Dayan Chi Band and Choi Go-eun Band, and a peace Ganggangsullae (traditional Korean circle dance).

The peace conference will feature keynote speeches, academic conferences, and thematic discussions on various topics such as democracy, human rights, and peace. It will be broadcast live on the official Jeonnam Province YouTube channel "Euddeum Jeonnam Tube" and the official Kim Dae-jung Peace Conference YouTube channel.

The keynote speeches will be delivered by former East Timor President Xanana Gusm?o and former German Chancellor Gerhard Schr?der on the theme of reconciliation and solidarity, and by former York University International Security Studies Professor Eric Weingartner and UN Human Rights Policy Center Director Shin Hye-su on the themes of poverty, equality, disease, and humanity, respectively.

The academic conference will cover topics such as ▲The Great Transformation of Peace on the Korean Peninsula ▲World Leaders of Peace and Reconciliation (Kim Dae-jung, Mandela, Brandt) ▲Forgiveness and Reconciliation ▲Pandemic, Life, and Environment. The thematic discussions will address ▲Democracy, Human Rights, Peace ▲Youth, Future, Peace ▲Experiences of Reconciliation and Healing in Regions and Communities.

Kim Jong-sik, Mayor of Mokpo, said, "I deeply appreciate that the Kim Dae-jung Peace Conference, a forum where distinguished domestic and international figures seriously discuss common human challenges such as peace, democracy, human rights, inequality, disease, and the environment, is being held in Mokpo." He added, "I hope the peace conference will become a public forum that presents a vision to the world based on President Kim’s spirit."