Article Written by Yusook Kim, President, Alliance for Korea United Washington
Originally published in the Korea Times
I had the opportunity to visit Korea on August 15th, Korean Liberation Day. This year carried special meaning, the 80th anniversary of Liberation, and Seoul was alive with preparations for commemorative performances and events. August, the month of Liberation Day, always reminds us of freedom, independence, and the noble patriotism of our ancestors.
Despite the oppressive summer heat, venues across Seoul filled with joyful citizens. Their faces radiated pride, as though even the midsummer night’s heat was transformed into a festival atmosphere.
A highlight of my visit was attending the “2025 Korean Dream Hangang Festa,” a joint event hosted by civic groups promoting unification and the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Held at Ttukseom Hangang Park, the celebration brought together citizens who shared both the joy of liberation and the hope for a unified Korea.
Beneath a sky lit by a spectacular drone show and fireworks, I joined with others in offering heartfelt wishes for the eternal development and prosperity of the Republic of Korea, even while living far away in the United States.
The following day, various civic rallies filled the streets of Seoul. Watching countless citizens peacefully protest, I realized how deeply Korea still suffers from conflict and division. At that moment, I fervently prayed for God’s healing for this land.
I was reminded of the words engraved on the wall of the Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C: “Freedom is Not Free.” The blood, sweat, and tears shed to protect freedom must never be forgotten.
During the recent South Korea–U.S. summit, President Trump remarked:
“There was One Korea. It was a very large and powerful country that went to war with China many times over the last 2000 years.”
In response, President Lee Jae-myung asked him to play a role in bringing peace to the divided Korean Peninsula—the world’s last remaining Cold War frontier.
But amid such high-profile diplomatic exchanges, it is easy to overlook the suffering of the North Korean people. Living under poverty and dictatorship, they are deprived of freedom and basic human rights.
North Korea enforces strict control through oppressive laws such as the Law on Rejecting Reactionary Ideology and Culture. Distributing South Korean videos is punishable by death, and even watching them can mean up to 15 years in prison.
A defector who fled two years ago testified that an acquaintance in his twenties was publicly executed for sharing three South Korean dramas and about 70 songs. Public executions reportedly still occur every three months, with 12 people killed at a time.
In this context, proposals like building a “Trump Tower” in North Korea feel surreal. Could such ideas instead hint at a call for regime change? Perhaps. But more urgently, I hope leaders who speak of peace will extend compassion to North Koreans and to defectors—the living prelude to reunification.
The divided Korean Peninsula remains humanity’s last symbol of the Cold War. The leader who achieves unification based on freedom and peace will be truly deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize.