PTPI to host Asia Pacific conference

Kim Gil-youn, president of the PTPI Korea national headquarters, poses in her office in Yeouido, Seoul. / Courtesy of John Redmond

By John Redmond

The People to People International (PTPI) Korea national headquarters will present the 2017 Asia Pacific Regional Conference at Central Park Hotel in Songdo, Incheon, from July 20 to 22.

The event will attract participants from some 10 nations, including Bangladesh, Nepal, Mongolia, Pakistan, Japan, Togo, Nigeria, Liberia, Taiwan and the U.S.

PTPI is a nonpolitical, nonreligious and nonprofit organization that is dedicated to private diplomacy and cultural exchange on the global stage, and engages in a wide range of activities in relation to education, culture, sports and the arts.

Founded in 1956 by Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States, the aim of PTPI is to promote international exchanges and understanding through voluntary efforts by the private sector.

“Eisenhower, who had been contemplating the ways to eradicate war and establish peace on Earth since the end of World War II and the Korean War, founded PTPI based on the philosophy that communication and interchanges among people from all countries around the world was key to peace,” the event organizer states on its website.

The PTPI world headquarters is located in Kansas City, Missouri, with some 133 countries worldwide participating.

In Korea, the PTPI movement began with the establishment of the Chuncheon Chapter of PTPI by Park Gyeong-won, then governor of Gangwon Province, in 1965. From then on, a number of chapters were set up and in 1972, the Korea national headquarters was founded with the support of leadership across the country as well as the U.N. Command in Korea and the PTPI world headquarters.

The Korea Times spoke with Kim Gil-youn, the first female president of the Korean national headquarters of PTPI in its 50-year history, about issues of concern to the Asia-Pacific region.

Q: With the obvious issue of North Korea becoming a global nuclear threat, how do you stand on this?

A:

We need to denuclearize the North. It’s a big problem. Its leader Kim Jong-un is like a rugby ball. Very unpredictable.

Q: You see this as a global problem.

Yes. The North’s closest ally, China, hasn’t taken on a more active role in promoting peace in the region. China is now a superpower.

Q: Where do you see America’s role?

America often acts as a policeman in these global issues. However, China has the greater responsibility. China needs to impose sanctions in exchange for a nuclear weapons-free North Korea.

For more information, visit the People to People International Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Facebook.