The Korean War, which took place in the summer of 1950, was stopped for a while in July 1953, leaving behind a tremendous tragedy of fratricidal conflict with more than 2 million civilian victims out of a population of 20 million at the time for three years. A state of armistice, a temporary break from non-war wars, has been going on for over 70 years.
The embers of the Korean War still remain, and inter-Korean tensions have continued for more than 70 years. This 70-year-old unrest has grown fragments of war in the hearts of people in the South and North Korea living on the Korean Peninsula. And as the trauma of the war is now becoming reality again, many people still realize the horror of the war.
There is no righteous war. In war, brothers unwillingly become enemies and kill each other, and the weak who need to be protected become the biggest victims. In addition, war not only justifies all violence inflicted on humans, but in the face of war, the monumental monument of civilization built by mankind becomes nothing more than a sandcastle that is meaninglessly destroyed. This fear of war spreads all over the world in an instant in modern society where everything is highly developed.
The war between Russia and Ukraine that broke out last year illustrates this well. As the war continues, the world is affected in some way or another by the war, big or small, and we are watching as the tragedy in Russia and Ukraine escalates into a global tragedy. We humans may face the greatest danger in history.
There are people who say that war and violence are the duality of human beings. It is false logic and false. This is not human nature, but a deception to rationalize a system created by those who pursue the benefits of war and violence. Humans have always tried to improve those faulty systems. The universal value that any peace, no matter how unreasonable, is better than any kind of war has become the common sense of mankind. That is human nature.
Artists know. Art has denounced the absurdity of wars caused by faulty systems, and has healed and entrusted those who have suffered. And we have prayed in the most beautiful language for the victims. Artists have looked into the tragedies that occurred in war, recorded them so that such tragedies would not happen again, and created the records so that more people could feel and sympathize with them.
Artists have always been in solidarity to heal the wounds of tragedy. I have been creating with pain more than anyone else, sorrow more than anyone else, and joy more than anyone else. And artists have sung that love, not violence, is the last bastion of human beings.
Therefore, the artist declares in the name of art.
The artist opposes all violence inflicted on living a humane life. Oppose all wars that justify violence.
Artists will stand in solidarity and support for all actions against war, and confront the dangerous elements that cause war as art.
Artists will always devote production rather than destruction, and life rather than death, close to human life.
Look at Imjingak here. As the long time of 70 years passed with barbed wire in between, it was not only the weapons that had been modernized, diversified, and accumulated. As peace continued, this place was breathing as a garden of life where new lives was born and reproduced freely. The Earth fills in the place that humans destroy and empty with its own vitality. Now, our artists will join the earth's efforts to become self-sustaining and take the lead with a mission.
We, artists oppose any war preparations surrounding the Korean Peninsula. We hope 2023 to be the first year when the paused war is completely ended and stable peace begins.
We hope that the peace declaration by artists who started on the Korean Peninsula will serve as an opportunity to stop and curb all wars that take place around the world.
We want this armistice line to become a role model and a symbol for people around the world to make peace.
We hope that all efforts to create true peace in the global village, which no longer needs to be fought, will continue to develop in solidarity with art.
Now, artists will show it as art. It will make mankind remember how great the power of peace can be.
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2023. 07. 27
All artists participating in the World Artists Declaration of Peace on the Korean Peninsula.
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