[Photo] Hanminjok Tongilyeok, Patriotic Poetry Recitation and Peace Tour Held for Month of Patriots and Veterans

President An Junhee: "Enhancing Interest in Peaceful Unification and Strengthening the Will to Practice Patriotism"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] The Korean National Unification Women’s Association (President An Jun-hee) held the event “Unification Patriotic Poetry Recital and Peace Tour with Youth” on the 25th.

A total of 44 participants from various age groups ranging from their teens to 80s (22 general participants and 22 youths) took part in this event, which was organized in honor of the Month of Patriots and Veterans to commemorate the patriotic spirit and souls of the fallen heroes. It aimed to foster a correct understanding of the Korean War among the youth, who are the future leaders of our country, and to raise awareness of the importance of peace and unification, encouraging active patriotism.

Members of the Korean National Unification Women’s Association and general citizens who participated in the event accompanied the youth (elementary, middle, and high school students, as well as university students) in the morning to visit the Aegibong Peace Ecological Park (Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province). Holding hands with their companions, they watched a promotional video and toured the ecological exhibition hall. Then, they climbed the observatory to view the North Korean village across the river, 1.4 km away, experiencing the reality and pain of division and expressing their hopes for peace and unification by ringing the Bell of Peace and walking along the ecological trail.

The group then moved to the outdoor performance hall to hold the 8th Patriotic Poetry Recital themed on unification and patriotism. The recital, which began with a tribute to the fallen soldiers and patriotic spirits, was hosted by Professor Yoon Hye-kyung (Director of the Korean National Unification Women’s Association). Ten participants, five youths and five general citizens aged from their teens to 70s, recited poems expressing their hopes for unification, sharing the sorrow of division and strengthening their resolve to practice patriotism, which was highly meaningful.

Won Dae-han, a student in the youth division (5th grade at Semyung Elementary School), pledged in his original poem “I am a Small Unification Activist” to learn more and work harder for unification, which he came to know and care about through his maternal grandmother. The youngest participant, Jo Min-jae (3rd grade at Eonreung Elementary School), emphasized the excellence of Hangul and the importance of using and preserving the precious Korean alphabet in his poem “Love for the Country Starts with Love for Hangul.”

Additionally, Jo Seon-jun (6th grade at Sangji Elementary School) conveyed his desire to do things together with North Korean peers and his anticipation for unification in his original poem “Unification, Where Are You Now?” Mina Park (3rd grade at Moga Middle School) and Jin-mi Kim (3rd grade at Seoul Theological University) recited poems “I Wish the World Were Like This” (Jo Kyung-hwa) and “Times of the Wind” (Song Myung-ho), expressing their earnest hopes for unification.

Among the general participants, Aekyung Park (Seo-si, “Yun Dong-ju”), Kyung-soon Kim (“I Stood in Front of Baekdu Mountain’s Sacred Ground,” Lee Sang-man), Geum-soon Lee (“Unification, Our Wish is Unification,” Kim Yang-sik), Geum-ja Myung (“The River That Does Not Return”), and Nam-hye Kim (“For Unification”) also delivered patriotic poetry recitations that deeply moved the audience by conveying the sorrow of division caused by the Korean War and heartfelt wishes for unification.

President An Jun-hee stated, “I hope this event helped foster a correct understanding of the Korean War and provided an opportunity for various generations to empathize with the importance and necessity of peaceful unification.” She emphasized, “Although the tense situation between South and North Korea is expected to continue due to North Korea’s repeated military provocations following the new government’s inauguration, it is precisely at times like these that citizens must find and fulfill their roles in patriotism and unification from their respective positions.”

During the morning trip from Seoul to Gimpo, the Korean National Unification Women’s Association conducted a lecture on the different languages of South and North Korea. On the return trip from Gimpo to Seoul in the afternoon, they held a quiz for the youth based on the morning lecture titled “Guess South Korean Words vs. North Korean Words,” which received great enthusiasm, with seven participants scoring a perfect 100 points and the lowest score being 75 points.

Celebrating its 33rd anniversary this year, the Korean National Unification Women’s Association is a purely civilian unification organization excluding political affiliations. It currently has city and provincial councils, city, county, and district branches nationwide, as well as overseas councils. The association carries out various projects and activities aimed at restoring Korean ethnic homogeneity and preparing for unification, including the National Unification Speech Contest, Patriotic Poetry Recitals, North Korea Awareness Debates, Security Site Visits, Unification Forums, bazaars to support North Korean defector youth, and free legal counseling for displaced women.