Statement on "Panmunjeom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula"

GoodFriends USA’s Statement on Panmunjeom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula

April 27, 2018

GoodFriends USA welcomes and supports the Panmunjeom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula announced at the Third Inter-Korean Summit Meeting on April 27, 2018. We hope that this agreement becomes a starting point of resolution of current issues that the Korean Peninsula faces as well as a hopeful future for Korean people. It is a great achievement that the two leaders confirmed and agreed upon their commitment to narrow the gap between the two Koreas and cooperate with each other by engaging in active human and material exchanges at all levels. Importantly, they also confirmed and agreed upon their common resolution to denuclearize the Korean peninsula under the premise that the two Koreas will establish a permanent peace regime by easing the tension and ending the Korean War. Witnessed by people of two Koreas and the world, the agreement shall be successfully implemented. Furthermore, we do hope that the forthcoming US-DPRK summit talk has a fruitful outcome by advancing the discussion, and hopefully an agreement, on denuclearization and establishment of peace regime in more detail.

“한반도의 평화와 번영, 통일을 위한 판문점 선언문” 에 대한 좋은벗들 미국지부 입장
2018.4.27

좋은벗들 미국지부는 이번 제 3차 남북 정상회담의 결과로 발표된 공동선언문을 환영하고 지지합니다. 

현재 한반도에 당면한 여러 현안들을 해결하고 우리 민족의 희망찬 미래를 여는 시작점이 되리라 기대합니다. 

앞으로 각계 각층에서 적극적인 인적, 물적 교류를 통해 서로간의 간극을 좁히고 협력해 나가겠다는 의지와 함께, 긴장상태를 완화하고 전쟁을 종식시켜 항구적인 평화체제를 구축한다는 대전제 아래 한반도 비핵화 의지를 공식적으로 확인하고 합의한 것은 큰 성과입니다. 

남북한 국민들과 세계의 이목이 집중된 이번 선언문의 합의내용이 잘 이행되길 바라고 이 성과를 이어 북미정상회담에서도 좋은 결과가 있기를 바랍니다. 

비핵화와 평화체제 구축에 대한 좀 더 진전되고 구체적인 합의는 북미정상회담에서 이루어지기를 희망합니다.

White House Petition and Letter Writing Campaign 백악관 온라인 청원 서명 및 편지보내기 캠페인

Campaign to Gather 100,000 Signatures for the White House Petition for a Peace Treaty on the Korean Peninsula & Campaign to Write Letters to President Donald Trump, U.S. Senators, and U.S. Representatives

A wind of peace is blowing on the Korean peninsula after the formation of a North and South Korean unified Olympic team and the attendance of North Korea's top representatives at the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games.

Despite the atmosphere of peace between North Korea and the U.S, as well as that between the two Koreas, there are many obstacles to overcome in order to establish sustainable peace on the Korean peninsula.

To aid the peace process, a campaign for the White House Petition for a Peace Treaty on the Korean Peninsula and a campaign to write letters to President Donald Trump and the members of the U.S. Congress was initiated, led by Korean-Americans especially those residing in the Washington D.C. area.

Not only Americans but also all the people around the world can sign the White House online petition. If the number of signatures exceeds 100,000 in 30 days (i.e. by April 13, 2018), the White House will send an official update within 60 days. Please sign and circulate widely so that the people of the world who wish for peace on the Korean peninsula can sign the petition.

Above all, it is important for residents in the swing states (Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, etc.), which play a critical role in the outcome of the presidential election, to write letters to President Donald Trump and the members of congress. Please, share this campaign widely so that the residents of the swing states can participate. The date must be included in the letter.

Click the links below for details. 

1) The White House Online Petition

2) Sample letter to President Trump

3) Sample letter to a U.S. Senators and House Representatives and the list of their names and mailing addresses

Contact: Soonyoung Min-Kim (goodfriends.soonyoung@gmail.com)

Chairman Ven. Pomnyun Sunim's Video Message:
(For subtitles, turn on CC at the bottom of the screen. If you don't see English, click "YouTube," and in the YouTube screen, click the Settings button, click subtitle/CC and choose English.)

한반도 평화협정체결을 위한 백악관 온라인 청원 10만명 서명운동 및 트럼프 대통령, 연방 상하원의원 편지보내기 캠페인

평창올림픽 남북 단일팀 구성, 개•폐막식 북한 대표단 참석을 계기로 한반도에 평화의 바람이 불고 있습니다. 평창올림픽의 성공적인 개최와 더불어 4월 남북정상회담, 5월 북미정상회담의 가능성이 열려 백악관도 비핵화를 전제로 북한과의 대화를 추진하고 있습니다.

최근 북미, 남북간에 불고 있는 평화의 봄바람에도 불구하고 아직까지 한반도에 항구적 평화가 정착되기에는 넘어야 할 산이 많습니다.

이에 미국에 거주하는 한인, 특히 워싱턴디씨 지역에 거주하는 한인들을 중심으로 한반도 평화를 위한 백악관 온라인청원 서명운동 및 트럼프 대통령과 연방 상•하원 의원들에게 편지보내기 캠페인을 시작하고자 합니다.

백악관 온라인청원은 미국인뿐만 아니라 전세계에 있는 모든 분이 함께 서명할 수 있습니다. 특히 한 달내에 서명자가 10만명이 넘으면 백악관은 60일 내에 공식답변을 하게 되어 있습니다. 한반도의 평화를 기원하는 전세계 사람들이 함께 서명운동에 동참할 수 있도록 주변에 널리 알려주십시오.

무엇보다도 대통령 선거의 당락을 결정하는 스윙주 (미시간, 오하이오, 펜실베니아 등)에 거주하는 분들이 트럼프 대통령과 연방 상•하원 의원들에게 보내는 편지가 중요합니다. 특히 스윙주(Swing State)에 거주하는 분들이 이 운동에 참여할 수 있도록 널리 알려주십시오. 편지를 보낼때는 반드시 날짜를 기입해주십시요.

자세한 내용은 아래 링크를 클릭해주세요. 

1) 백악관 온라인 청원

2) 트럼프대통령에게 보내는 편지 샘플

3) 상원, 하원 의원에게 보내는 편지 샘플 및 의원 명단과 주소

문의: 김순영 (goodfriends.soonyoung@gmail.com) 

좋은벗들/평화재단 이사장 법륜스님의 영상 메시지 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToG61LYHlmI
(영어자막: 화면 오른쪽 아래 톱니바퀴 모양 Settings 버튼 누르시고 영어 자막 선택하세요.)

Korea JoongAng Daily Column Series 중앙일보 영자신문 칼럼 시리즈

We share a four-column series of Ven. Pomnyun Sunim, Chairman of GoodFriendsUSA and the Peace Foundation, published on Korea JoongAng Daily in December 2017 and January 2018.

#1 'America First' and North Korea
#2 Don't count on China (Why North Korea will never kowtow to China)
#3 Treating Kim like a King (It's the who rather than what with North Korea)
#4 The Art of Good Enough


2017년 12월 - 2018년 1월 중앙일보 영자신문에 게재된 법륜스님 (좋은벗들 및 평화재단 이사장)의 칼럼 시리즈를 싣습니다.

#1 '어메리카 퍼스트'와 북한
#2 왜 북한은 절대 중국에 굽실거리지 않을 것인가
#3 북한과는 '무엇'보다 '누구'가 중요하다
#4 적당함의 기술

[Announcement] NKT is discontinued until further notice

Publication of North Korea Today is discontinued until further notice. Past issues will be kept available for your use.

Events and other updates will still be posted on this blog. 

The comment function is disabled in order to keep this site immune from auto generated comments for commercial purposes. Please direct any questions to goodfriends.usa at gmail.com.

Thank you.

Updates

We thought it would not take too long before NKT comes back, but it was easier said than done. Unfortunately, GoodFriends USA and the headquarters do not plan to resume publishing the newsletter any time soon. In the meantime, GoodFriends has focused on helping North Koreans resettle in their new communities in South Korea. Both the headquarters and GoodFriends USA continue to make efforts to help better the human rights situations in North Korea. Hopefully, we will be able to update you with possible plans for the newsletter and other developments.

Thank you for your comments, and your support for NKT.

GoodFriends USA

North Korea Today Will Come Back with a New Look

North Korea Today Will Come Back with a New Look

Good Friends has entered the eighth year since it first published North Korea Today, a weekly newsletter dedicated to delivering the voices of North Korean people.  When we began the newsletter, the focus of international and domestic media was on the North Korean top leader and his regime, and little attention was paid to ordinary people in North Korea.  We, at Good Friends, thought listening to the voices of North Korean residents and helping let them heard was a way to contributing to the peaceful reunification of  two Koreas.  Therefore, we have focused our work on the daily lives of North Korean people and disseminated how much internal change North Korea was undergoing.  

Meanwhile, the inter-Korean relations and the surrounding international circumstances have substantially changed as well as the Korean people’s perception of unification.  Now we need to take this transformative momentum and turn it into an opportunity for peaceful reunification and new development of the nation.  The role of North Korea Today needs to change as well.  That said, we will suspend publication for a short period of time and come back with a new look.  

We deeply appreciate your continued attention and support.  Thank you, and see you soon.