Angels' Harmony Band perform On December 3rd the Korean Sharing Movement hosted their 23rd anniversary benefit night “Together, our Korea”. The event started with a performance from Somang Rehabilitation Center’s “Angels’ Harmony” band who had been preparing all year in anticipation of performing for the benefit night and did not disappoint with soothing melodies to get the night started. The Korean Sharing Movement has also worked hard consistently all year in trying to prize open the door towards peace on the Korean peninsula.
The Korean Sharing Movement’s honorary PR ambassador, comedian Jaehyun Jeong, was in control of proceedings as MC and invited KSM co-standing president Ilyung Lee to the stage to kick things off with some welcoming remarks. The Minister of Unification had sent a congratulatory speech for KSM’s work this year and that was then read out by the ministry’s humanitarian cooperation Director General Jeongbae Seo. The presentations of appreciation plaques followed and another of KSM’s co-standing presidents (there are four in total) Mr. Yeo-Doo Yun was afforded the honor of presenting them. The first appreciation plaque was awarded to the National Committee on North Korea (NCNK) for their hard work in co-hosting with KSM in New York City the 2019 International Conference on Humanitarian Cooperation and Peaceful Development on the Korean Peninsula. The plaque also recognized NCNK’s efforts in organizing meetings in Washington D.C. on Capitol Hill with high level American stakeholders for the South Korean delegation. This year’s international conference focused on the impact of sanctions on the humanitarian and peacebuilding situation on the Korean peninsula and was heralded as a great success. Andray Abraham received the plaque on behalf of the NCNK. The second appreciation plaque of the night was provided to Min Hyun for his tireless efforts in supporting KSM peace education through sport program ‘Football 4 Peace’. Hyun has participated and helped operate every coach training program and almost all weekend Football4Peace classroom programs since 2015. Both recipients gave short comments after receiving the plaques. Mr. Abraham gave his speech in Korean with words provided by the NCNK Executive Director Keith Luse heralding the cooperation between NCNK and KSM that had made the trip to America so fruitful. There followed another concert, this time from indie band REDLOW which included an encore and got the crowd going with renditions of Beatles, Elvis, and a couple of Korean numbers.
Andray Abraham receives NCNK's appreciation plaqueAfter the improvement in relations on the Korean peninsula of 2018, KSM have been relentless in efforts to expedite positive change in the south-north relationship. KSM staff and representatives travelled to the DPRK in December 2018 and to the U.S. in November 2019. Despite the strains in the political situation in 2019, KSM’s resolve remains unwavering. Secretary General Sang-Young Hong’s report on activities since the last benefit night in June 2018, detailed KSM’s visit to Pyongyang late last year and explained the cooperation agreements which were signed at that time with the North’s Committee on National Reconciliation. Hong detailed the principles of reciprocity and public gain emphasized in the agreements before explaining the changes KSM witnessed on the streets of Pyongyang. He went on to elaborate on his understanding that as much as thinking and opinions change and develop in the South, so too in the North are new ideas and discourses emerging. His report included a message of hope and a reflection on the possibilities for peaceful development when South and North cooperate together.
Secretary General Hong delivers his report on the yearSecretary General Hong concluded his report with a further explanation of KSM’s trip to the U.S. in the context of how sanctions had restricted KSM’s ability to enact projects in 2019 and how meeting people directly had led to new realizations about KSM’s projects and about the sanctions as well as the ability to understand where and what differences in points of view exist and how to perhaps navigate them.
Indie band REDLOW perform
