JOURNEY FOR LIBERTY!
2024 Unification Cultural Event for Overseas Koreans held in
the U.S.
- Unification Cultural Event Held in Boston on September 28,
joined by Overseas Koreans and Local Residents -
October 2, 2024
The Ministry of Unification held the JOURNEY FOR LIBERTY event on
Saturday, September 28, from 2 PM to 7 PM (local time) at Palmer
Street in Harvard Square, Boston, USA.
The event focused on the next generation of overseas Koreans, aiming
to shape the discourse on unification based on freedom in the
international community. Through testimonies from North Korean
defectors and exhibitions on North Korean human rights, the event
emphasized the global values of liberty and human rights.
The event included a talk concert titled "Voices from North
Korea," held in collaboration with Freedom Speakers
International(FSI). North Korean defector authors Han Songmi and Eom
Yeongnam shared their personal experiences, discussing human rights
abuses in North Korea and their escape stories with the audience.
At the talk concert, Han Songmi shared, "My mother, who had
already settled in South Korea, made three attempts to get me out of
North Korea, but I rejected her each time." She then explained
why she refused, helping the audience better understand obstacles that
lie before those who seek to escape the North.
Eom Yeongnam captivated the audience with his escape story,
stressing that "Unification is not just a political goal—it is a
process of healing for all Koreans."
Talk concert attendees reflected that the stories, coming directly
from North Korean defectors, made it all the more touching and
impactful. Many expressed a desire for more opportunities to learn
about North Korea through such firsthand testimonies.
Attendees also explored various exhibitions and programs, including
the Global Unification Art Exhibition, the Escape from North Korea
Simulation Game, the AI Unification Art Challenge, and displays on
North Korean human rights.
Attendees appreciated the "drawings by children yearning for
unification" displayed at the Global Unification Art Exhibition,
and found the QR codes useful for understanding the artwork through
children’s audio explanations.
Attendees showed great interest in the Escape from North Korea
Simulation Game, noting it provided a vivid experience of the
life-risking escape process in an engaging and immersive way.
The AI Unification Art Challenge invited attendees to vote on 20
artworks, with several attendees expressing that envisioning a unified
Korean Peninsula gave them hope and anticipation for
unification.
Over 310 participants attended the JOURNEY
FOR LIBERTY event, with 75% of them aged between 18 and 34,
demonstrating a successful engagement of the younger generation.
Attendees valued the open setting of Harvard Square for deepening
their understanding of North Korean human rights and fostering
awareness of the need for a unified Korea based on freedom and human rights.
The Ministry of Unification will continue its efforts to raise
awareness of unification issues among overseas Koreans, with the next
cultural event set for November 9 in Germany.
