Aug. 18 (UPI) -- "We never had another shot fired," recalled former Ecuadorian President Jamil Mahuad, reflecting on the 1998 peace accord with Peru that ended nearly two centuries of conflict over a disputed border region. Speaking at the International Support for a Free and Unified Korea forum, Mahuad and leaders from Latin America and Africa shared experiences of healing division, offering a blueprint for reconciliation as Korea approached its 80th Liberation Day.
Korea's Liberation Day, marking the end of Japanese colonial rule in 1945, remains a potent reminder of the peninsula's enduring division. The anniversary has become a symbolic moment for advocates of reunification, highlighting both the challenges and the possibilities of building a shared future.
Hosted by the Global Peace Foundation, Action for Korea United, and the One Korea Foundation, the forum brought together participants from Asia and the Americas to Africa, with sessions ranging from environmental restoration to youth leadership strategies. At its heart, Roundtable Session II: The Role of Latin America in Supporting a Free and Unified Korea explored how civic cooperation across continents could help build lasting peace.
