By Yoon Sojung
Photos = Cheong Wa Dae

President Moon Jae-in received the Atlantic Council’s 2017 Global Citizen Award on Sept. 19. The ceremony took place at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York.

The Global Citizen Award has been awarded by the U.S. think tank every year since 2010. The council gives it to influential figures who contribute to solving global issues faced by the international community, realizing global citizenship.

This year’s awardees include President Moon, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Chinese pianist Lang Lang.



“First of all, I would like to offer this award to the citizens of Korea who held aloft candles in the cold city square throughout the winter last year,” said President Moon.

“As you know well, Korean citizens brought new hope to world democracy thanks to the Candlelight Revolution last winter. They saved democracy, which was at risk, in the most peaceful and beautiful manner possible, and launched a new government.”

“I am a president who has been born from this Candlelight Revolution,” he said.

President Moon explained that in its modern history Korea has overcome all kinds of hardships, ranging from the Korean War to last year’s Candlelight Revolution, and that it has only been able to do so thanks to the power of its citizens who raised aloft candles in Seoul's central Gwanghwamun Square.

“Although the Candlelight Revolution was a large-scale citizen movement that involved more than 17 million people over several months, there was no single case of violence and nobody was arrested. It was run perfectly as a peaceful and cultural event that showed the world that the power of peace -- not violence -- can change the world,” said the president.

“I believe the citizens of Korea are truly entitled to receiving even the Nobel Peace Prize, as they gave the world new hope, despite the global crisis in democracy,” said President Moon.

“I believe today’s award also contains encouragement and support from the world's citizens who believe in us, that we can build peace on the Korean Peninsula for world peace. I promise them that we will surely have another time in the future to tell you about the history of peace that Korea achieved after building peace on the Korean Peninsula,” said the president.

arete@korea.kr