On Wednesday, 27th March, 2024, Universal Peace Federation (UPF) Italy President Mr. Carlo Zonato and Vice President Mr. Franco Ravaglioli met with Mr. Hyung-shik Kang, Consul General of the Republic of South Korea, at the consulate in Milan. The meeting, which lasted about 45 minutes, was very cordial and had a welcoming atmosphere. The Consul General expressed his personal gratitude for this first visit. He gave a thorough account of his vast experience during his 30-year diplomatic career and expressed his personal satisfaction of serving in Italy, a country he loves dearly, for its people as well as the food.
Mr. Zonato and Mr. Ravaglioli took this opportune moment to introduce UPF, its founders and the development of the organisation’s activities and presence internationally. It was a particularly convenient occasion to enlighten the Consul General about the investment that has been devoted, over time, towards the reconciliation and reunification of Korea, ever since the founders met in person with North Korea’s leader, President Kim Il Sung, in 1991. This made Mr. Kang recall the time when President Kim il Sung offered his condolences to Mrs. Hak Ja Han Moon after Rev. Sung Myung Moon had passed away in 2012. He called it a “very unusual gesture”, given the divisive relations between the two countries.
Mr. Kang offered his full support and participation should UPF organise any meetings, either domestically or internationally, relating to the current situation between the two Koreas and to possible paths of reconciliation. He expressed his sincere desire for the unification of Korea. That is his real dream, he said, despite the fact that the current situation is complicated and that it requires a very sensitive touch in order to avoid a negative escalation throughout the Asian region.
Mr. Kang recalled Italy’s support, albeit a medical one, at the outbreak of the Korean War, when sixteen countries organised the United Nations Forces to support South Korea. As a memento, Consul Kang gave both Mr. Zonato and Mr. Ravaglioli the book "Italian Participation in the Korean War" written by Mr. Salvatore Poloni, son of the medical officer in charge of the Italian field hospital in Korea from 1951 to 1955.