Ilchi Lee

Three years after being officially designated by the government as an "Island of World Peace", Governor Tae Hwan Kim of South Korea’s Jeju Island (Jejudo) designated Ilchi Lee as a Goodwill Ambassador of the state.

In front of 2,500 citizens gathered at the Jeju Convention Center on March 23, 2008, Jeju Island requested that Lee become a Goodwill Ambassador in order to proactively enhance its worldwide image.

Ilchi Lee hosted the World Korean Peace Grand Festival 2004, at which 15,000 people from around the world attended. Several international peace celebrities spoke, including President of Costa Rica and Nobel Laureate Oscar Arias Sanchez. In addition, Lee has hosted several international peace meditation camps in this southernmost region of South Korea.

Ilchi Lee and Governor Kim have a close relationship, both officially and informally. In September 2006, Lee accepted in Sedona, AZ, the governor’s gift of two Harubang (wise grandfather) volcanic rock-carved statues. The Harubang statues are Jeju's traditional cultural symbol of peace, protection and prosperity. Lee has been actively playing a positive role in bridging peace and harmony between South Korea and the United States. At the Mago Retreat Information Center in Sedona, a film is shown to tourists about the friendship between Jeju Island and Sedona.

2 Comments

Hahn Pah April 03, 2008 70.17.83.3 Votes: +1	I am so thrilled with this news. JeJu Island treated the American/Britain meditation tour group as guests. I sat at one banquet table and chatted with the man in charge of the Convention Center, saw the young children drumming on stage and listened to the speeches. After the ceremonies, our tour went to the waterfall, the only waterfall in the world that empties into the ocean and meditated. It gave me much hope for a World of peace and in the four years since, I have seen more movement towards treating each other as one. Progress and hope. report abuse vote down vote up
toast April 03, 2008 64.16.14.210 Votes: +1	Very cool! I wish I could visit there. I was reading about the YEHAP touring group (Young Earth Human Alliance for Peace) at yehap.blogspot.com recently, and was really struck by their descriptions of Jeju. They have pictures on the main blog, and descriptions on each of their individual blogs, and by the end of my browsing, I almost felt like I'd been there myself! Hahn Pah, it sounds like you also had a memorable experience there. Of course, if everyone visited places like this, they might not be quite the same, eh? report abuse vote down vote up