How did a woman who lost her homeland to war come to sit at the same table as world leaders? And why is a former EU Special Envoy putting her name forward for the Nobel Peace Prize right now?
On March 30, 2026, a quiet piece of news reached the world.
Dr. Hak Ja Han, President of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification and co-founder of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF), was formally nominated for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. The nominator: Dr. Ján Figeľ — former European Union Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, and current President of the Forum for Religious Freedom Europe (FOREF Europe).
Under Nobel Committee rules, nominees are not publicly disclosed for fifty years. However, nominators themselves are permitted to announce their submissions, and Dr. Figeľ chose to make both the fact and the reasoning behind his nomination public. What achievements did he recognize? And who, exactly, is Dr. Hak Ja Han?
Born in North Korea, Shaped by War
Dr. Hak Ja Han was born in what is now North Korea. As a young child, the outbreak of the Korean War forced her to flee her homeland. Division, displacement, and loss — she belongs to the generation that experienced firsthand one of the defining tragedies of the twentieth century.
That memory did not become grief. It became a mission.
The Four Pillars Dr. Figeľ Recognized
Dr. Figeľ's nomination letter evaluates Dr. Han's life's work across four pillars:
The nomination falls under the category of "Peace and Fraternity between Nations" — a framework that recognizes not just humanitarian aid, but the role of bridging international politics with religious and civil society.
Moscow, 1990: What Happened at the End of the Cold War
In 1990, as the Soviet Union stood on the edge of collapse, Dr. Hak Ja Han traveled to Moscow alongside her husband, Rev. Sun Myung Moon, and engaged directly with Soviet leadership.
This was not a ceremonial visit. It was recorded in international media at the time as a symbolic act of dialogue across ideological lines.
The following year, 1991, they took an even more difficult step — traveling to Pyongyang and meeting with North Korean leader Kim Il-sung. At a time when the wounds of the Korean War were still raw, this was a rare instance of civilian diplomacy opening a channel toward inter-Korean dialogue.
One Woman, Five Historic Podiums — In a Single Year
In 1993, Dr. Hak Ja Han addressed five of the world's most politically significant venues within a single year:
Each of these institutions represents the diplomatic and political center of its respective country or the world. This was not driven by celebrity. It reflected genuine institutional interest in the themes she carried: international peace, interreligious cooperation, and the role of the family in sustaining stable societies.
One woman. One year. Every major institution of the post-Cold War world. That was 1993.
Building to Last — Two Founding Organizations
One of Dr. Han's most enduring contributions has been her commitment to institutionalizing her work — ensuring it would outlast any single event or individual.
1992: Co-founding of the Women's Federation for World Peace (WFWP)
In April 1992, Dr. Han launched the Women's Federation for World Peace in Seoul. Built on the conviction that women must be central actors — not peripheral supporters — in global peacebuilding, the WFWP was designed from the outset as a platform for women's leadership on international issues. Now active in over 180 countries, it works across education, humanitarian service, community development, and family support. In the year of its founding, Dr. Han herself traveled to 20 cities across the United States to carry its message directly to audiences.
2005: Co-founding of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF)
The UPF was inaugurated in September 2005 at a gathering held adjacent to the United Nations headquarters in New York. Established as an international platform connecting political leaders, religious representatives, scholars, media professionals, and civil society actors, it holds formal consultative status with the United Nations. Designed from the outset as a space for dialogue that transcends any single religion or nation, it now operates in over 150 countries and convenes annual summits alongside parliamentary and interreligious forums worldwide.
Organizations outlast individuals. Both of these foundations continue to operate today.
After Rev. Moon Passed Away: Carrying the Work Forward
In 2012, Rev. Sun Myung Moon passed away peacefully. They had been married for fifty-two years. According to her memoir, for three years after his passing, she visited his grave every single day without exception. And yet she did not stop. Her commitment ran deeper than her grief.
The record speaks for itself.
In 2013 she proposed the Sunhak Peace Prize. A preparatory committee was formed the following year, and the inaugural ceremony was held in 2015. International summits continued without interruption, expanding from Asia to Africa, Europe, and South America. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, she maintained the dialogue by shifting to an online format. In 2025, over 500 leaders from 117 nations gathered in Seoul.
Thirteen years after his passing. She did not stop.
A Record of Global Summits
Since 2012, Dr. Han has personally convened and led major summits across six continents:
These were not ceremonial events. Sitting heads of state sat at these tables, year after year. Sustaining that network over more than a decade reflects the organizational depth behind her name.
The International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP)
In 2016, at the Republic of Korea National Assembly, the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP) was formally launched as one of UPF's primary platforms.
Today, the network includes over 1,000 legislators from more than 50 countries — not just diplomats or heads of state, but the men and women who actually write their nations' laws. Regular forums address denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, family policy, and interreligious coexistence.
The Sunhak Peace Prize — A Prize That Asks Serious Questions
Proposed in 2013 in memory of Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the Sunhak Peace Prize held its inaugural award ceremony in 2015. Awarded every two years, it recognizes individuals and organizations contributing to sustainable human development, conflict resolution, and ecological preservation.
The list of laureates speaks to the breadth of her definition of peace:
From climate science to women's rights to vaccine equity to African governance — the prize reflects a view of peace that is broad, specific, and grounded in real-world impact.
The DMZ Peace Park and the International Highway Vision
Among the long-term proposals Dr. Han has consistently advanced is the conversion of the Korean Demilitarized Zone into an international peace park — transforming the most militarized border on earth into a symbol of cooperation and dialogue.
This vision connects to the Peace Road project, which envisions an international highway and rail network running through the Korean Peninsula across Eurasia, and extends further to proposals for a Korea-Japan undersea tunnel and a Bering Strait crossing linking Asia and North America.
These remain proposals rather than completed projects. But they have been presented consistently in dialogue with world leaders as a long-term framework where infrastructure, geopolitics, and peacebuilding intersect.
Honorary Recognition
The Rally of Hope series — an online and hybrid international dialogue forum launched in 2020 — has brought together U.S. President Donald Trump, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and other major political figures as speakers. The series addresses themes including Korean Peninsula security, poverty, environmental issues, religious freedom, and honoring Korean War veterans.
What the Stage Carries — The Little Angels
Among the initiatives Dr. Han has long supported is the Little Angels Children's Folk Ballet of Korea — a performing ensemble of young dancers carrying forward Korea's traditional folk arts, founded by Rev. Moon and Dr. Han.
When audiences of different languages, nationalities, and faiths share the experience of finding something beautiful together, that moment reaches somewhere that no speech can. The Little Angels have opened doors to cross-cultural exchange through the universal language of the arts.
During the Cold War, in Eastern Europe and across the United States, audiences reportedly wept after performances. What moved them was not propaganda. It was the simple recognition that beauty crosses borders, and that people, despite everything, can connect. That is the vision Dr. Han has carried throughout her life.
The Weight of a Nomination
One point deserves clarity.
Nobel Committee rules prohibit the disclosure of nominee information for fifty years. Whether Dr. Hak Ja Han appears on any official list cannot be confirmed. What is confirmed is that Dr. Figeľ chose to make his nomination public — a practice the system permits, and one that multiple nominators have used over the years to bring a candidate's work to broader attention.
The nomination is confirmed. And the weight of it is significant. A former EU Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief — a man whose professional life has been dedicated to protecting minorities and holding governments to account on human rights — put her name forward in the category of international peace. That is not a casual gesture.
The International Community Has Taken Notice
Recognition of Dr. Han's work extends beyond Dr. Figeľ's nomination.
Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo posted publicly about the legal proceedings surrounding Dr. Han in South Korea, calling the situation deeply troubling and describing it as "lawfare directed at a religious leader." Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich characterized related crackdowns on religious communities as dangerous for a democratic nation. Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, speaking at the Sunhak Peace Prize ceremony, expressed his gratitude to Dr. Han and said her vision points the way to peace across generations.
These voices reflect the fact that her work has been recognized not only within religious communities, but across the wider fields of international security, governance, and human rights.
Why She Is Called the Mother of Peace
The name "Mother of Peace" is most often heard in religious contexts. But she has lived it.
Born in North Korea. Her homeland taken by war. A lifetime of crossing borders and bridging peoples in an era of division. Her record is not just the record of a religious leader. It is the record of a practitioner of peace.
Whether the Nobel Committee ultimately chooses to award her is their decision alone. But the body of work is real, documented, and ongoing. Seen together, it makes clear that this nomination rests on something substantial — something that does not require faith to recognize.
And these are only a portion of what Dr. Han has built across her lifetime. She has moved through the world with respect for every person she has met, planting seeds of peace wherever she has gone.
Sources Nobel Peace Prize Nomination (Dr. Figeľ)
Nobel Prize System & Rules
Dr. Hak Ja Han — Biography & Achievements
World Summits & UPF Activities
Sunhak Peace Prize
WFWP & UPF — Founding
International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP)
Awards & Recognition
Rally of Hope
International Voices (Pompeo, Gingrich, Ban Ki-moon)
Dr. Figeľ — Background & Credentials