Today marks the 7th Anniversary of the September 18th HWPL World Peace Summit. I hope everyone has been well and healthy. Due to the emergence of COVID-19, the world is going through a very difficult time. Dear members of HWPL, with not a single person left behind, let us strive together to reach the destination we all hoped to arrive at. The heavens will protect us. We have made a great deal of effort through the September 18th HWPL World Peace Summit. As we celebrate the 7th anniversary, it is my pleasure to meet everyone.

What is our purpose? It is to bring wars to an end and build a peaceful world to pass it down as a lasting legacy for our future generations. To this end, I have gone on 31 tours across the globe, of which I am sure that you are well aware. To former and incumbent heads of state, chief justices, and speakers of parliaments whom I met during the tours, I would like to express my sincere gratitude. I am also grateful to religious leaders, heads of organizations, and journalists. I visited your countries like a naïve child, yet you had welcomed me so warmly. With one heart and one hope, we have worked hand in hand and I am reminded of those days. On this 7th anniversary of the summit, it is my sincere pleasure to welcome the family of HWPL. The goal that we have will certainly be realized.

Today, the world is groaning under the weight of the pandemic. But that doesn’t change the fact that God is alive and that all creation exists. Then we, as higher beings, have no reason to be idle because of the situation. Our goal is still the same. While I was on peace tours circling the globe, I held you in these very eyes and your pleading voices in these very ears. What you had said is still vivid in my mind and alive. Until the day our goal is reached, let us not change. What do we always say? We say, “We are one.” We are one. So let us be one and fulfill what we have hoped for.

Some of you may know the backstory of how I started this movement for peace. I used to live in a small town in the deep countryside where my family was farming. When I was a child, I held onto the hands of my grandfather, who dressed in a Korean traditional hat and robe and prayed to God every day. Whenever he did, I prayed with him, holding his hands. Even after my grandfather passed away and I was discharged from the military, I prayed in the field behind this farmer’s hut every morning and evening. Why? Because I only knew God. As my grandfather taught me, I knew about God and that he is the source of all blessings, so I always prayed.

Then something unreal happened. One day, a huge bright star in the sky came down to me. It was at about seven meters or so above the ground. There stood before me this brightly shining star, much bigger than me. I was so surprised that I ran into my house. My father was asleep, so I woke him up saying, “A star is here, a star is here.” Then my father came out and was amazed by how big and bright the star was. He said, “In old times, a star would show up when a great figure appears. It seems such a figure will arise in our country too.” That star appeared to me for three days, and ultimately, guided by the star, I made a promise to God. What was it about? I vowed that I would believe and obey him and that I would keep everything that he commands me to do. Now that I think about it, I am surprised how far back in the past it is.

That is how I started my life as a person of religion. However, as you have heard and seen, while I was on 31 rounds of the world peace tours, have you ever heard me preach religion? I refrained from doing so. To bring peace and cessation of war to the world, I transcended nationality, ethnicity, and religion while visiting various countries, and you have welcomed this humble person with gracious hospitality. What did those meetings boil down to? It showed that we are one. What is the purpose embodied in this slogan, “We are one”? It is to end all wars and to make a peaceful world to leave it as a lasting legacy for future generations. With such determination and goal, we have met, and I went on global tours again and again for this.

Currently, the pandemic is keeping us from traveling, but our goal and the promise made with God are still intact. If the living God is with us and our goal remains unchanged, what we hope for will become a reality. Hence, under God and the banner of peace, we will together attain this goal. We will do so by being one in heart and mind. When I visited your countries, what did we promise? We promised to be one, with “We are one,” and pledged to jointly achieve peace.

So I met people from all walks of life, regardless of their religious or political affiliations. Also, I promised them that I would hold a peace summit in Seoul, Republic of Korea, and accordingly, the HWPL World Peace Summit was held in Seoul, Korea. What was the vow we made at the summit? Political leaders in attendance, they pledged to work on making an international legal instrument that would ensure a world of peace. What did heads of organizations promise? They promised that they would pour in their efforts to realize peace before God. That is what happened. At the HWPL World Peace Summit, we made these promises before God and all the people of the world. We promised to bring peace and cessation of war worldwide. On that day, the heads of organizations pledged that they would keep pressing leaders to fulfill the promises made before God and all the people. That was the vow, and they signed agreements to do so. If this is a promise made before God and global citizens, then it certainly has to be fulfilled. As long as we are alive, we will keep our promise to God.

The pandemic will be over one day. So we should definitely accomplish our purpose and build a peaceful world free of war. This is not a someone else will do for us. Since we are the ones who spoke these words and made the commitment, it is our responsibility to fulfill it in our generation.

I am sure that you know. What former and current heads of state, chief justices, and speakers of parliaments have signed are still in the library here. Those agreements that you have signed on that day and hour are still kept as is. So we should not just sit on our hands and look on at the world. We need to achieve our goal. This will not change. Then, who will do this work? It is us, the family of HWPL. This is also our mission, and there is nothing greater than this. This world was created by God and handed down to us by our ancestors. Should we let wars destroy it? No. That is not love, but destruction. What we need is love. We should love each other as ourselves, and transform this world our predecessors passed down to us into a beautiful place. We should create a world of paradise and make it an unceasing legacy for generations to come. Isn’t this what we ought to do? If that is the case, then we need to become one as we promised, as we say “We are one.” We should come together as one and accomplish our purpose. We truly need to.

When I visited Africa, members and speakers of parliaments of 55 countries voluntarily gathered and made a promise with HWPL. It was a promise to turn this world into a peaceful place together. That is the pledge we made in South Africa.

What also happened? I went to Australia. There, leaders of island countries convened in one place. They also made a promise and what was it about? They signed the agreements promising to build a peaceful world and end wars. I still have them with me.

Everyone, in this world, people value things such as wealth and power, but what is more valuable is a peaceful, warless world. Without peace, anything we build will be destroyed in the end. This is why all of us need to cooperate and achieve peace in one heart. We should not forget the day of September 18th. Today marks its seventh anniversary. All the vows we made on that day must not be forgotten. The heavens saw and heard us, and so did the earth. It is only fair that we carry out the promise we made before the heavens and the earth. Would there be anything more reasonable or greater than this?

What is the pinnacle of modern science? The development of nuclear weapons. They can blow up the entire planet in the blink of an eye. Thus, we should bring such wars to an end and establish a lasting paradise full of life to pass it down as an everlasting legacy. Let us make sure that this heart of ours remains unchanged. I have not forgotten about the HWPL family of peace even for a moment. With the mindset that everyone in the global community is the family of HWPL, I have been working to this day, relentlessly. I’m sure you already know.

When we visited Romania on a world peace tour, there was someone we met at a supreme court. Whenever we made a visit, this person would take us to his house and provide us with lovely meals. He did so every time we visited. I’m still thankful for the kindness he showed us. There were also former and incumbent heads of state who warmly welcomed us, agreed to our proposals, and collaborated with us. How could I forget their gestures of kindness? I was very grateful.

What we have to do once the pandemic recedes is to move forward again towards our goal of global peace and cessation of war. Everyone should do so with one heart, a heart yearning for peace. By doing so, we will need to accomplish our purpose of peace and cessation of war in the end. There is nothing greater than this. Once we die, we cannot do anything, so we should act while we are alive. We should do what we intend to do while we are still breathing. So I would like to take this opportunity to convey this message. I am not a thief. What I hope to achieve is to make this world a beautiful place like the Garden of Eden. With whom? Together with the family of HWPL. Through our concerted efforts, let us create a wonderful global community. Everyone, let us not change. With God together with us, we should hold his enduring love in our hearts and work with love.

Many things await us. When we work in such a manner, God above will send us his blessings. And what would be the best blessing? It would be eternal life. If God is with people and the world becomes his kingdom, there would be no reason to die. Would God leave people to die? Why must precious lives end? Let us step up our efforts and turn this world into a paradise where God may dwell. Let us strive for this together, with unwavering determination. What HWPL hopes to accomplish is peace and cessation of war. We are committed to this.

In this world, there are laws and crimes. If there are no crimes, laws would not be needed. Now we should create a world where there are no laws or wrongful actions. Then what do we need? Freedom. Freedom is what we need the most. Under freedom, peace and love will flourish in all. This is the kind of world we should create. Don’t you agree? It is said that the living God also wants such a world where he could live with everything he created in the world. In order for us to live with God, who created mankind, there is a condition—everything should be complete. A world of peace free of sin, a world of love and freedom, this is what we should build. So let us, the HWPL family, take the initiative to transform our world into a new place and let us do it together.

Even in the moments I am here looking at the gifts and pictures displayed on my right and left, I am always with you. When the pandemic is over, we will be able to travel freely, and all these things will be seen and spread across the globe. Please remember this. Also, let us not falter in our resolve until what we hope for is achieved and completed. Let us work hand in hand, and never forget that we are one. Lastly, we will end by shouting a phrase from our promise, “We are one.” We are one! Thank you very much.