Uruguay is a country that is on the opposite side of the earth, and it would take 24 hours to get there by plane. There is still no direct flight to get there because it is so far away. After flying for 12 hours, the plane has to make a stopover to refuel and then fly another 12 hours before arriving. Uruguay is a faraway country situated at the very far end of the earth, but it is relatively familiar to us. This is because 20 years ago, it was the host country of the “Uruguay Round Talks,” which took place when extreme controversy  erupted in Korea surrounding disputes in the rice market.

Uruguay’s capital city, Montevideo, is situated in between Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, and the La Plata River. This river is the widest in the world, and it takes two hours and 30 minutes to get from one end to the next even by a swift boat which runs at 100 km/h. The La Plata River may look peaceful, but it is the site where the British Naval fleet and the German Pocket battleships fought during World War II.

The Buffer State of Uruguay

Uruguay’s area is 176 000㎢ and is 4/5 of the area of Korea. However, its population is only 3,340, 000 (2012 census). Out of this population, 1,340,000 people live in the capital city of Montevideo, where a smaller number of people living on a wider land seems spacious compared to Korea where a large population lives on narrow land. There are not many cars on the road and the beaches are quiet. It is unusual to see even 10 people on the wide stretches of sandy beaches that stretch about 2-3 km long. The downtown is elaborate and detailed so that one can see all the main buildings in one glance. The Salvo Palace and the President’s office are situated in the middle of downtown on the Independence Square. To the south of the Independence Square is Uruguay’s biggest five-star hotel, Radisson Montevideo Victoria Plaza Hotel.

Uruguay has many similarities with Korea. Apart from the fact that the seasons are completely different, due to the two countries being in opposite hemispheres, the two countries share many similarities. Uruguay has a similar climate to Korea and similar geopolitical position, due to its also being surrounded by powerful nations such as Argentina and Brazil. Uruguay, having been attacked by Brazil and currently maintaining the position of a buffer state, resembles Korea, which plays the role of mediator between China and Japan.

There is a bronze statue of the independence hero José Gervasio Artigas at the Independence Square, situated at the center of Montevideo. Artigas, who was from the Spanish Army, defeated the Argentine Army, which occupied Montevideo, and then divided the Uruguay Administrative district into six sections in 1816, and then built the first school and library in Montevideo.

The International Leadership Conference (ILC) organized by the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) was held from the 21^st to 23^rd of April at the Radisson Montevideo Victoria Plaza Hotel. The ILC, which bore the theme “Latin America shifts towards a new paradigm for peace and the development of humankind,” was attended by leaders from all walks of life in Latin America, along with current and former heads of state, congressmen and other representative leaders of Uruguay. Concrete ways of establishing lasting world peace were discussed with much enthusiasm.

The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, who hosted the event, stated that

“Mrs. Hak Ja Han, who founded the Universal Peace Federation together with the late Reverend Sun Myung Moon (died in 2012), chose Montevideo as the place to hold the International Leaders Conference in order to carry on with the vital task of realizing world peace and unification.”

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