My Experience at Hangang River Festa 2025
by Tahmina Supti
I have been on a journey to Korea and back to attend the Korean Dream Campaign at the Hangang River Festa 2025. As the only Bangladeshi, I felt embraced with love by my Filipina Titas and Ates. It was like finding another family in a land far from home.
This journey has touched me in ways I cannot fully express. Attending the sessions, meeting incredible leaders, and sharing with teammates made me think again and again about the meaning of the Korean Dream.
Korean War Memorial
The visit to the War Memorial of Korea was one of the most powerful experiences of my life. The president of the museum did not just tell us history—he opened his heart, sharing his gratitude and his dream. Walking through the exhibits, seeing the pictures of war, the broken belongings, the faces of people who suffered, I felt as if the past was speaking directly to me. Listening to the story of a man who escaped from North Korea shattered my heart. He spoke about his unbearable life there—his leg injured, his family left behind, and the haunting truth that he doesn’t even know if they are alive or how they are living. A life without family… it’s unbearable. Just imagining his loneliness brings tears to my eyes.
In the museum, I stood before the history written in blood and pain. I saw it unfold in front of me—the lives lost, the countless souls who suffered, the broken families torn apart. So many people died, so many dreams ended, and yet the pain still lives on in those who survived.
It was not just history on the wall—it was living grief. A grief that cries out for peace, for unity, for the chance that no one should ever again face such suffering. I couldn’t stop my tears. Instantly, it reminded me of Bangladesh’s Liberation War—what my parents and grandmother endured. The fear, the pain, the loss, but also the love that kept them alive. At that moment I realized—love, pain, and sorrow are the same for all humanity.
Han River Festa
And then, came the Han River Festa on 15th August. The Han River itself is a symbol of miracles—the river that carried South Korea from devastation to prosperity, the Miracle of the Han. Sitting there under the open sky, I watched the “One Drone, One Dream” program. The person sitting right beside me whispered, “I donated for one drone.” It touched me so deeply, the feelings of ownership!!! It touched me ! In that instant, I felt a strong bond between us—we were strangers, yet one family under God, united by the same dream.
When her drone flew into the sky, we didn’t just see a machine. We saw hope rising, faith soaring, and ownership settling deep inside us. It was as if God was reminding me: we are one family, and when we dream together, nothing is impossible.
South Korea has already shown the world the Miracle of the Han in economic prosperity. Now I believe with all my heart, the next miracle will be the miracle of reunification. And when that day comes, it will not just be Korea’s story—it will be the world’s story. A story of love, unity, and family under God.
This journey gave me not only knowledge but a new sense of responsibility. I believe in the Korean Dream, I believe in reunification, and I believe one day, history will record our names as people who did not just witness—but who loved, who acted, and who dreamed together.
I was able to see Dr. Hyun Jin Moon, Sir—right in front of me. The man whose quotes we study, whose vision and teachings we learn in every session, was giving his speech before my own eyes. It felt almost unreal, and I had goosebumps throughout. To witness the man of vision, the man with dreams, speak with such conviction was truly life-changing. And when he ended his speech with the words: “Those of you who pledge to stand with me to realize the Korean Dream, rise and shout Aju! Aju! Aju! May God bless you and your families.” —I felt my heart rise with him. So today, with all my heart, I say once more: Aju! Aju! Aju
