- Indian Prime Minister Modi and South Korean President Moon Unveil Bust of Gandhi at Yonsei University February 22, 2019
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(from left) IGEE Honorary Chairman Ban Ki-moon, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
ROK President Moon Jae-in, ROK First Lady Kim Jung-sook, Yonsei President Kim Yong-HakPresident of the Republic of Korea, Moon Jae-in, and Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi visited Yonsei University yesterday to unveil the new bust of Mahatma Gandhi on campus.
A gift from the Indian government to Yonsei University, the bust commemorates the 150th anniversary of the birth of Gandhi this year and his contributions as a leading figure in non-violent resistance and independence. The unveiling ceremony took place at Baekyangnuri (The Commons) of Yonsei University’s main Sinchon Campus in Seoul, Korea.
Along with President of Yonsei University, Kim Yong-Hak, former Secretary General of the United Nations and Honorary Chairman of the Institute for Global Engagement and Empowerment (IGEE) at Yonsei, Ban Ki-moon, and First Lady of the Republic of Korea, Kim Jung-sook, were present at the occasion.
Yonsei President Kim inaugurated the unveiling ceremony by welcoming all guests, including the Indian faculty and students currently studying on campus. He hoped that “this gift and sharing of Gandhi’s Spirit would be another opportunity for our two countries to further strengthen and deepen our bond,” and emphasized Yonsei University’s commitment to collaborating with India and its representative institutions in various fields, ranging from education and research to culture.
Welcome Remarks of Yonsei President Kim Yong-HakIn his following congratulatory remarks, ROK President Moon stated that this year is a momentous year for Korea, as the country will be celebrating the centennial anniversary of the March 1st Independence Movement, during which people rose up to fight for independence.
“Recently, we have been witnessing significant progress on the Korean peninsula in our quest to achieve peace,” he said. “Through the unveiling ceremony today, the spirit of Gandhi will be etched in the hearts of the Korean people forevermore. I truly hope that Gandhi’s great spirit will be translated into peace and prosperity that goes beyond the Korean peninsula to all over Asia.”
Congratulatory Remarks of ROK President Moon Jae-inAmong cheers from the crowd, Prime Minister Modi took the stage and spoke of the occasion as an honor to unveil the bust of Gandhi at Yonsei University. He proceeded to give inspiring remarks on how Gandhi’s ideals could help the world find the path to overcome terrorism and climate change.
“He (Gandhi) used to say that we have no right to take away the right of the future generations. We should leave a better world – they should be able to breath clean air, get clean water and all the natural resources that they need,” said Prime Minister Modi. He reflected that Gandhi’s message of unity of mankind, of human values, of achieving goals through non-violence, and the philosophy of winning back hearts could motivate people today.
Remarks of Indian Prime Minister Narendra ModiIn the final congratulatory remarks of the ceremony, Honorary Chairman Ban Ki-moon expressed his honor to serve as a member of international advisors to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi by the invitation of Prime Minister Modi. Thanking the Indian government for the invaluable gift, he mentioned that the United Nations General Assembly marked October 2, Gandhi’s birthday, as “International Day of Non-Violence” under his initiative back in 2007.
Congratulatory Remarks of IGEE Honorary Chairman Ban Ki-MoonThe bust of Mahatma Gandhi will be placed at Yonsei International Campus in Songdo, Incheon after the unveiling ceremony to serve as an iconic figure for international students as well as the freshman class. Yonsei University plans to establish a hall of honor to recognize international dignitaries and their legacies of humanity.
(from left) Yonsei Board of Directors Chairman Hur Dong-soo, IGEE Honorary Chairman Ban Ki-moon,
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ROK President Moon Jae-in, ROK First Lady Kim Jung-sook,
Yonsei President Kim Yong-Hak -
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