Chairman Lee Man-hee’s 7th Peace Tour | Why Did He Call for “World Peace” Aboard the Meredith Victory, Which Evacuated Korean War Refugees?

The Meredith Victory was one of the ships that took part in the Hungnam Evacuation during the Korean War, helping evacuate many refugees.

Years later, a very different message would be heard aboard the ship—one centered not on war, but on peace.

That message was a call to “end war and achieve world peace.”

 

This article looks back at Chairman Lee Man-hee’s seventh peace tour.

The 18-day tour ran from October 30 to November 16, 2013, spanning seven countries and 39 events.

 

The article notes that he departed from Incheon International Airport just 13 days after completing his sixth peace tour, with him carrying out as many as seven events in a single day.

The journey began in Los Angeles and continued through several countries in Central America, including the Mayan community in Guatemala, before reaching Tijuana, Mexico.

As we follow the various events described in the article, one common thread becomes clear.

It is striking to see religion, politics, the media, young people, citizens, and the Mayan community connected by the shared theme of “peace.”

  

🌍 The 7th Peace Tour of Chairman Lee Man-hee Begins in Los Angeles

 

It was October 31, 2013.

 

At the Sheraton Cerritos Hotel in Los Angeles, a conference on religious unity and world peace was held.

Representatives of Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, Christianity, and other faiths attended the event.

Chairman Lee Man-hee emphasized that religion should not be a source of conflict, but should instead play a role in bringing people together for peace.

 

Participants called for unity in pursuit of world peace, and some religious leaders continued asking questions even after the presentation.

The article also notes that the gathering helped broaden a shared understanding of peace among religious communities ahead of the 2014 World Alliance of Religions Peace Summit.

 

(Source: HWPL)

 

The peace-focused meetings then continued with religious communities across Latin America.

In Guatemala, Chairman Lee met with Archbishop Óscar Julio Vián Morales to discuss the role of religion in taking the lead in promoting peace.

According to the article, Archbishop Morales expressed his intention to attend the 2014 World Alliance of Religions Peace Summit in Korea and signed a peace agreement.

In Colombia, Chairman Lee held a discussion with Anglican Bishop Francisco Gómez, followed by the signing of a peace agreement.

 

(Source: HWPL)

 

Bishop Gómez also expressed his desire to actively participate in the peace movement.

  

🤝 Conversations About Peace with Former and Sitting Presidents

 

Another notable part of the seventh peace tour was the series of meetings with political leaders.

According to the article, Chairman Lee met with four former and sitting presidents: former Guatemalan President Álvaro Arzú, former Nicaraguan President Enrique Bolaños, former Colombian President Ernesto Samper, and then-Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla.

The meetings focused on ending war and promoting world peace, with peace agreements signed during the encounters.

 

Former Guatemalan President Álvaro Arzú expressed his desire to become more actively involved in the peace movement.

Former Nicaraguan President Enrique Bolaños asked how he could contribute to world peace and signed a peace agreement.

Former Colombian President Ernesto Samper likewise shared his commitment to peace and signed the agreement.

Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla spoke about the need to strengthen international mechanisms for ending war and signed a peace agreement.

The article describes these meetings as an effort to expand peace beyond a call within civil society and make it an agenda for cooperation among national leaders and the international community.

  

📺 Some People Came in Person After Seeing the Peace Message in the Media

 

The peace message also continued to be shared through the media during the tour.

In the United States, FIL-AM TV, CBS Radio, and FOX5 participated, while Telemundo and radio stations in Mexico, as well as Azteca, Guatevisión, and Channel 7 in Guatemala, covered peace-related content.

The article also notes that the message of peace was broadcast on Nicaragua’s CDNN23, El Salvador’s Megavisión MN19, and Costa Rica’s public Channel 13.

 

One particular moment stands out.

 

According to the article, Nicaraguan priest Roberto Fernández watched the live broadcast on CDNN23 and later visited the station to meet Chairman Lee Man-hee.

He reportedly expressed interest in the World Peace Agreement and his desire to see an end to war.

In Costa Rica, the article says that several people also came in person after the broadcast to discuss peace, including Estrella Cerén Lizano, the wife of the country’s 38th president, representatives of the University for Peace, and officials from government ministries responsible for peace-related affairs.

It is a noteworthy example of how a message shared through the media led to actual meetings.

  

🚢 Finally, “World Peace” Echoes Aboard the Meredith Victory

 

But the most striking scene in the article takes place aboard the Meredith Victory.

It was November 1, 2013, at the Port of San Pedro in Los Angeles.

An event for young people was held aboard the Meredith Victory, which was docked there.

The event brought together leaders from 50 youth organizations, 500 young people, more than 100 VIP guests, and numerous members of the media.

 

The Meredith Victory took part in the Hungnam Evacuation during the Korean War and helped transport many refugees to safety.

According to the article, Chairman Lee, who had experienced the Korean War, told the young participants that young people should not have to be sacrificed in war and emphasized the need to end war and achieve peace.

When Chairman Lee called out, “World Peace,” the participants responded, “We Can Do It.”

 

(Source: HWPL)

 

What makes this scene particularly meaningful is that Chairman Lee spoke to young people about ending war and achieving world peace aboard a ship deeply connected to the history of the Korean War.

It can be seen as a symbolic moment in which a generation that had experienced war spoke about peace to young people at a place that still carries memories of that conflict.

 

🌿 Meeting the Mayan Community in Guatemala

 

The seventh peace tour continued in Guatemala.

 

According to the article, Guatemala is home to a Mayan community of around 12 million people, and the delegation also met with members of the community during the visit.

At a local religious and peace seminar, the delegation met Santos Mapanora, one of the leaders among the 22 Mayan groups, and later met Carlos Batzín, a Mayan leader and former Guatemalan Minister of Culture.

Carlos Batzín said that many countries across Central America wanted peace and expressed his desire to work together for world peace before signing a peace agreement.

 

But another notable moment followed.

After hearing that local Mayan people were waiting to meet a “messenger of peace,” Chairman Lee adjusted his schedule and visited Chuarranco, a village located about 1,350 meters above sea level.

The villagers, dressed in traditional clothing, welcomed the peace delegation.

The tour included visits not only to religious and political leaders, but also directly to the Mayan community.

  

🚶 The World Peace Walk with Citizens in Tijuana, Mexico

 

The journey also continued with a World Peace Walk in Tijuana, Mexico.

As the procession entered the city, local residents gradually joined the march, increasing the number of participants and adding their steps to the march for peace.

The article says that interest in taking part in HWPL’s peace activities continued even after the event.

  

🔎 18 Days · 7 Countries · 39 Events — What Connected Them All?

 

The seventh peace tour can be summed up in three simple numbers.

18 days · 7 countries · 39 events

 

From October 30 to November 16, 2013, the tour brought together people from many different backgrounds, including religious and political leaders, members of the media, young people, citizens, and the Mayan community.

 

As I reviewed the article, the word that stood out to me most was “connection.”

That is because different groups—including religion, politics, the media, civil society, young people, and the Mayan community—came together around the shared theme of peace.

The moment aboard the Meredith Victory when young people joined in calling for world peace, along with the visit to the Mayan community in Guatemala, can be seen as two representative scenes that show the overall course of the seventh peace tour.

The tour broadened participation by bringing conversations about peace to different fields and regions through agreements, meetings, and events.

  

📝 In the End, What Matters Is Action and Participation

 

The final part of the article emphasizes that peace agreements and declarations should not be the end of the process, but should be followed by continued action and participation that lead to tangible results for peace.

As I reflected on the article, I found myself looking for the answer to the question in the title—“Why did they call for world peace aboard the Meredith Victory?”—in the way the various events of the tour were connected.

 

Over the course of 18 days, the journey moved from speaking about world peace with young people aboard the Meredith Victory, a ship marked by the history of war, to meeting the Mayan community in Guatemala and citizens in Tijuana, Mexico.

Throughout the journey, peace was not limited to one person or one particular field, but became a subject discussed by a wide range of people and groups, including religion, politics, the media, civil society, young people, and communities.

In this sense, the call for “world peace” aboard the Meredith Victory can be understood as a symbolic moment in which the meaning of peace was conveyed to the next generation at a place that carries the memory of past war, with the hope of continuing that peace through the participation of many people.

  

💬Which Moment Stood Out to You the Most?

 

Which moment from this article stood out to you the most?

 

🚢The youth event aboard the Meredith Victory

🌍The peace conference attended by religious leaders in Los Angeles

🤝The peace agreements with former and sitting presidents

📺The Nicaraguan priest who came to meet him after watching the broadcast

🌿The Mayan community in Guatemala and the visit to Chuarranco

🚶The World Peace Walk with citizens in Tijuana

 

Share the moment that stood out to you the most in the comments below.

 

 

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