Remembering Kang Hee-nam: A Life Dedicated to Korean Reunification

As spring blossoms across the peninsula, we pause to remember the enduring spirit of Chairman Kang Hee-nam, affectionately known as 'White Stone.' Seventeen years have passed since his departure, yet his lifelong dedication to the cause of Korean reunification continues to resonate deeply within our nation's heart. Born in Gimje, Jeollabuk-do, Kang graduated from Hanshin University in 1950, embracing liberation theology and immersing himself in social activism.

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The pain of division, which was carried out regardless of the will of our people, cannot be passed on to future generations.

His unwavering commitment to a unified Korea led him through a tumultuous path, marked by significant personal sacrifice. He faced imprisonment multiple times, beginning in 1977 under Emergency Measure No. 9, enduring a cramped cell. In 1987, during his second incarceration, he undertook a life-threatening hunger strike to protest Chun Doo-hwan's 'Hoheon' measures, a bold act of defiance against authoritarian rule. His activism extended to his pivotal role in the formation of the Pan-Korean Alliance for Reunification (Pomminryon) in 1990, serving as its South Korean chairman and facing further arrests in 1991, 1994, and 1995.

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In a divided society, justice is reunification, and true love is genuine 동포애 (fellowship/kinship).

Kang Hee-nam's life was a testament to the belief that division is an unnatural state for the Korean people, who have shared a single history for five millennia. Even after his release in 1998, he was arrested a sixth time that same year, yet his resolve never wavered. His journey, including a symbolic walk from Mokpo to Seoul in 2005 carrying the 'burden of division' instead of a cross, exemplified his profound commitment. From donating relief funds to North Koreans suffering from floods to emphasizing the need for national solidarity over foreign interests, Kang's legacy is one of selfless devotion to a peaceful, unified homeland. His life's work serves as a powerful reminder, especially in our current divided state, that true national identity and future prosperity lie in overcoming the artificial barriers that separate us.

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We must expand and develop the national square in various ways, where the North and South join hands to transform confrontation into reconciliation and division into unification, rather than entrusting the nation's destiny to calculating countries that profit from division.