Global Peace Foundation calls on South Korea to lead unification initiative
Global Peace Foundation Chairman Hyunjin Preston Moon speaks with reporters during an interview at Fairmont Ambassador Hotel in Seoul, Oct. 2. Courtesy of Global Peace Foundation
Advocates urge younger generations to view reunification as economic opportunity, not burden
Global Peace Foundation (GPF) leaders and experts emphasized that South Korea should take the lead in shaping the unification agenda, calling for younger generations to view unification as an opportunity rather than an economic burden.
Hyunjin Preston Moon, chairman of GPF, said North Korea’s abandonment of its long-standing goal of unification has created a rare opportunity for South Korea to take the initiative.
“North Korea today looks at South Korea as their enemy and has abandoned the unification agenda,” he said. “That creates a tremendous opportunity for South Korea to claim the entirety of the unification agenda.”
He stressed that unification should be driven by Koreans themselves, with South Korea setting the direction rather than leaving the issue to surrounding powers.
“The unification process has to be Korean-led,” he said, adding that a clear commitment from South Koreans could help build broader international support for unification.
Moon said changing how younger Koreans view unification is crucial, as many see it as an added financial burden amid existing concerns over jobs, housing and the rising cost of living.
He argued that unification should instead be seen as a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity, with the potential to attract massive foreign investment and create new business and economic opportunities for younger generations.
Drawing comparisons with China’s economic development fueled by foreign direct investment, Moon said a unified Korea would be uniquely positioned between China and Russia and could attract significant international capital.
Moon also highlighted that younger Koreans could be among the biggest beneficiaries of unification, with foreign investment potentially creating new business, financial and employment opportunities for a generation facing slowing economic growth and demographic challenges.
Robert Joseph, right, former U.S. under secretary of state for arms control and international security, and David Maxwell, vice president of the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy, speak during an interview with reporters at Fairmont Ambassador Seoul in Yeouido, Seoul, Oct. 2. Courtesy of Global Peace Foundation
Addressing denuclearization with unification as ultimate goal
U.S. experts at the forum also called for a shift in how South Korea approaches unification.
David Maxwell, vice president of the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy, argued that unification should take priority over denuclearization after decades of unsuccessful efforts to persuade Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons.
“We have focused on the symptoms — the nuclear weapons, the military problems,” Maxwell said. “The problem is that the peninsula is divided.”
He argued that unification would pave the way for denuclearization and lasting peace, rather than the other way around.
Maxwell acknowledged younger Koreans’ concerns over the economic costs of unification, but said they underscored the need for greater preparation rather than a reason to abandon the goal.
“Korea must plan now for unification,” he said, arguing that advance preparations could help mitigate potential economic disruptions and address concerns over jobs and migration. He said policymakers should be prepared for different paths toward unification, including an unexpected internal change or collapse in North Korea, while maintaining a strong South Korea-U.S. alliance and extended deterrence.
He also argued that South Korea should take the lead in keeping the prospect alive, particularly after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un abandoned the goal of peaceful unification.
“South Korea is the only hope for the Korean people in the North,” he said, stressing that Koreans on both sides of the border remain one people.
Robert Joseph, a senior fellow at the National Institute for Public Policy and former U.S. under secretary of state for arms control and international security, also called for a broader view of unification that looks beyond its immediate costs to its long-term economic and security benefits.
“Unification will be costly, but I think that the result will be financially beneficial to all the Korean people,” Joseph said, describing it as “an opportunity for growth.”
He also argued that decades of diplomacy focused largely on North Korea’s nuclear program have failed to produce lasting results, making the current moment a “time of opportunity” to rethink the approach.
Joseph rejected the idea that accepting permanent division could produce stable peaceful coexistence, calling the concept “an oxymoron” as North Korea continues to expand its nuclear arsenal. He argued that the nuclear issue should not be separated from the human rights conditions facing people in North Korea.
“Only unification will resolve either issue,” Joseph said, referring to North Korea’s nuclear threat and human rights situation, arguing that unification could ultimately pave the way for progress on both.