A congratulatory ceremony was also held for the 200 student and youth representatives participating in Peace Road 2016 to celebrate the completion of their bicycle tour across the Korean peninsula. Peace Road 2016 is part of the International Peace Highway project, officially proposed by the founder of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, Rev. Sun Myung Moon, with the intention of connecting the entire world with a single road, at the 10^th International Conference on the Unity of Sciences (ICUS) held in 1981 in Seoul.

After the congratulatory and welcoming ceremony for the bicycle tour group, the event proceeded with a welcoming speech by President Sang-Pil Moon of the Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP), congratulatory speeches by Congressmen Yong-Tae Kim and Duk-Gwang Bae and words of encouragement by Kyeung-Seuk Ryu, Director of the Seonghwa Festival Executive Committee.

In his progress report, Gwang-Suk Song, Director of the Peace Road Executive Committee, said, “Through the Peace Road project ongoing in 140 nations around the world, we will bring people’s attention to the reunification of the Korean peninsula, the only region that still remains divided, as the cornerstone for world peace. And we will also actively carry out the campaign for the establishment of the Fifth Secretariat of the United Nations in Korea.” He added, “More than 500,000 youth from around the globe will join this project by the end of the year.”

Congressman Duk-Gwang Bae of the Saenuri Party (representing Eul district of Haeundae, Busan) encouraged participants in his speech by saying, “The Peace Road bicycle tour group from three countries, Korea, America and Japan, departed from Busan on the 9th of August and arrived at the Imjingak Pavilion on August 16. They rode over 700 km in scorching heat, reaching higher than 35 degrees Celsius, without giving up, and eventually made it. Such support from people around the world will lend us great strength in overcoming the division of our country and moving on towards unification.”

Congressman Yong-Tae Kim, also of the Saenuri Party, said, “I am thrilled by the Peace Road project, which began in Korea and Japan, with a desire for the unification of the Korean peninsula. Let us shout together for ‘a peaceful united world’ and a ‘United Korea.’ I want to give one more round of applause to the messengers of peace, who rode their bicycles with passion and spread their desire towards the unification of Korean peninsula and world peace.”

In the second part of the ceremony, the representatives of each continent’s Peace Road participants shared the feelings they had during the tour, and suggested cooperative measures regarding various global issues.

A Japanese college student who participated in the bicycle tour said during her presentation, “While riding 700km across the Korean peninsula, I observed how lively Korea was, and at the same time, came to think that the two Koreas must reunite as soon as possible.” She added, “Starting now, I will ride my bicycle all around the world to spread thoughts of peace.”