Kim Dongyeon: "Gyeonggi Province Will Fulfill Its Role as a 'Playmaker' for Greater Peace"

Gyeonggi Province Launches the 2025 DMZ OPEN Eco Peace Forum
Governor Kim Dongyeon, Michael Sandel, and Choi Jaecheon Find Common Ground on Intergenerational Justice
Expanding the Vision for the DMZ: "The Sense of Justice Among Youth Is the Key to a Bright Future"
World-Renowned Political Philosopher Michael Sandel in Conversation with Professor Choi Jaecheon
Sharing Positive Views on the Young Generation and Emphasizing the Importance of Future Generations

Kim Dongyeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, and Michael Sandel, Professor at Harvard University, both emphasized the importance of recognizing the strong sense of justice among Korea's younger generation and agreed on the need to create conditions that encourage and foster their growth for the future.

Kim Dongyeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, is delivering a greeting at the opening ceremony of the 2025 DMZ OPEN Eco Peace Forum held at Sono Calm Goyang Grand Ballroom on the 3rd. Photo by Lee Jonggu

On November 3, Gyeonggi Province held the opening ceremony of the "2025 DMZ OPEN Eco Peace Forum" at the Sono Calm Goyang Grand Ballroom. The forum, themed "Greater Peace - Finding the Path to the Future Starting from the DMZ," was organized to explore sustainable directions for the future based on the ecological and peace values of the DMZ.

In his opening address, Governor Kim stated, "Today, we have gathered here to extend the value of peace restored in the DMZ to the human world. By deeply embracing the values of ecology, peace, coexistence, and mutual prosperity, achieving not just quantitative but sustainable and high-quality growth is the greatest legacy we can leave for future generations. Now, we must realize greater peace. Humanity and nature, generation and generation, must harmonize and move toward a sustainable world. We need hope that peace and ecology, technology and the humanities can come together to protect the Earth and nurture and sustain the future of humanity."

Governor Kim introduced Gyeonggi Province's efforts to transform the DMZ into a birthplace of peace, such as the DMZ Peace Concert, DMZ Walking Festival, and DMZ OPEN Eco Peace Forum. He emphasized, "Gyeonggi Province will fulfill its role as a playmaker in creating greater peace. We will turn the northern region of Gyeonggi, which embraces the DMZ and border areas, into a space where ecology and peace become the economy and the future."

More than 200 people attended the opening ceremony, including Governor Kim, Professor Michael Sandel of Harvard University, ecologist Professor Choi Jaecheon, provincial assembly members, heads of public institutions, and young people.

The keynote session began with a lecture by renowned political philosopher Michael Sandel. Speaking on "Peace from the Perspective of Intergenerational Justice and the Common Good," Professor Sandel stressed the importance of restoring the common good and the ethics of intergenerational responsibility in an era of climate and ecological crisis. In a Harvard-style lecture that included open Q&A with the young audience, he said, "A just society is one in which each generation takes responsibility for one another, and peace is an extension of this intergenerational justice."

Kim Dongyeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province (center), attended the opening ceremony of the "2025 DMZ OPEN Eco-Peace Forum" at Sono Calm Goyang Grand Ballroom on the 3rd and took a commemorative photo with Michael Sandel, Harvard University professor (right). Photo by Lee Jonggu

In the following keynote discussion, Governor Kim Dongyeon, Professor Michael Sandel, and Professor Choi Jaecheon engaged in a free discussion on "The Future of the DMZ from the Perspectives of Peace, Justice, Ecology, and Generations." Moderated by Professor Choi, Governor Kim emphasized, "I believe that peace and ecology will ultimately become one of the greatest sources for achieving sustainable growth."

In particular, all three participants shared a positive perception of the younger generation and highlighted the importance of future generations.

Professor Choi Jaecheon remarked, "Our society tends to label the younger generation as 'Millennials & Gen Z' and criticize them as selfish, but from my observation, they seem to be the generation most passionate about justice."

Professor Michael Sandel also emphasized, "I believe young people can become the seeds of hope in establishing a new ecological ethic. This cannot be achieved simply by teaching; it requires continuous stimulation, encouragement, and opportunities for reflection."

Governor Kim Dongyeon commented, "Even last December, when South Korea faced an illegal martial law, the younger generation stepped forward joyfully, almost as if celebrating, and brought an end to martial law. I believe that issues such as the environment, the DMZ, and justice will move beyond being mere tasks to become sources of joy and fulfillment for the younger generation. I think it is the role of politicians to create conditions that enable this to happen as quickly as possible, and in that sense, I am optimistic about the future of South Korea."

Kim Dongyeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province (third from right), attended the opening ceremony of the "2025 DMZ OPEN Eco Peace Forum" on the 3rd at the Sono Calm Goyang Grand Ballroom and took a commemorative photo with attendees including Michael Sandel, Harvard University professor (second from right). Photo by Lee Jonggu

Through this keynote session, Gyeonggi Province concluded its three-year-long discourse on "Greater Peace" and redefined the DMZ as a future space where peace, ecology, and generational justice converge. Building on this discussion, the province plans to continuously expand its vision of an "OPEN DMZ" that designs and implements peace. The Eco Peace Forum will run until November 5.

* Michael Sandel: Michael Sandel is a leading contemporary American political philosopher and Harvard University professor, well known in South Korea for his global bestseller "Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?" which has been translated into 30 languages. He is recognized for emphasizing communitarianism and republicanism, and for his critical perspective on liberal theories of justice. At age 27, he became the youngest professor at Harvard University, and at 29, he published "Liberalism and the Limits of Justice," a critique of John Rawls' theory of justice. Sandel has gained worldwide acclaim for making philosophical discourse accessible to the public through his lectures and writings. His books "Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?" and "The Tyranny of Merit" sparked a nationwide interest in justice and fairness in South Korea since 2010. He has also authored several other bestsellers, including "What Money Can't Buy," "Against Perfection," and "Public Philosophy: Essays on Morality in Politics."

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