Thursday, April 1, 2021
The Light of Peace | World Council of Churches
The Light of Peace | World Council of ChurchesDownload below:
The Light of Peace
Churches in Solidarity with the Korean Peninsula
Edited by:
Anne Casparsson
Marianne Ejdersten
Rev. Dr Jin Yang Kim
Ivars Kupcis
Peter Prove
Rev. Seung-Min Shin
Lyn van Rooyen
Translated by:
Rev. Dr Jin Yang Kim
Specs: 183 pages; perfect; 4-colour cover
ISBN: 978-2-8254-1734-8
Shelving/Topics: Religion/Korea
Rights: World, all languages
Download the full Publication (a higher resolution version is available on request from publications@wcc-coe.org)
Download the Publication in Korean
Editorial support: Mark Beach, former WCC Director of Communication
Time to embrace a life of reconciliation and unification
In the preface, Rev. Dr Sang Chang, WCC Asia president, reflects that it is time for the Korean Peninsula to embrace the life of reconciliation and unification. “This book traces the 70 years of modern Korean history, offering historical and geopolitical background on the division of Korea, as well as the spiritual and theological meanings of the global ecumenical initiatives for the peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula,” writes Chang. “Each chapter will foster an awareness of the pain and suffering caused by the 70 years of Korean War, enlivened by personal stories, interviews, and prayers, beginning with a spiritual reflection that serves as a theological introduction to the chapter.”
Peace and unity on the Korean Peninsula matters globally | World Council of Churches
Peace and unity on the Korean Peninsula matters globally | World Council of Churches
Peace and unity on the Korean Peninsula matters globally
While the peace process on the Korean Peninsula needs further progress built on trust, the COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected international humanitarian support and development cooperation efforts. World Council of Churches (WCC) communications invited Peter Prove, director of the WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, to discuss the current ecumenical engagement for Korea and role of churches in building a sustainable peace.
Image
Director of the WCC's CCIA Peter Prove, general secretary of the NCCK Rev. Lee Hong Jung (South Korea) and the chairperson of the KCF Rev. Kang Myong Chol (North Korea) holding hands in prayer and solidarity for peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula during the EFK meeting in Bangkok in 2019. Photo:
NCCK
25 February 2021
Korea
Korean Christian Federation
National Council of Churches in Korea
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Asia
Commission of the Churches on International Affairs
Peace-building: Conflict transformation & Reconciliation
How do you see the current status of relations between North and South Korea?
Prove: Clearly we have suffered a very serious reversal of the circumstances for the peace process on the Korean Peninsula in general. One reason for that is the way the peace process developed itself – the mismatch of expectations and assumptions, particularly between the USA and the DPRK, and a failure to take incremental steps of trust-building to provide a basis for further progress.
Among other things, the continued imposition of the most rigorous and severe sanctions regime that has ever been applied anywhere has had a serious impact not only in terms of humanitarian access, but also in terms of the political environment for progress towards peace – and while having demonstrably failed in the stated purpose of nuclear non-proliferation.
At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic has gravely affected opportunities for practical face-to-face engagement, whether for political, humanitarian, development or ecumenical purposes. We don’t know when these opportunities will open, but we hope that the situation regarding the pandemic will alleviate, bringing improvement.
What is the role of churches in building a sustainable peace in this context?
Prove: One of the most important things that we as churches globally can do is continue to pray for peace and reunification, for a sustainable and peaceful coming together of the Korean people, and that they are made aware of this accompaniment in prayer by churches around the world.
The principle of the ecumenical movement’s engagement in this issue has always been that peace must be made between the Korean people – it won’t be made for them by others. Our role is to support and be in solidarity, to accompany and encourage them on this journey.
Even with no physical meetings, 2020 was a busy year in churches’ advocacy and peace-building initiatives for the Korean Peninsula worldwide.
Prove: Initiatives that we undertook in the course of last year, with events and gatherings marking the 70th anniversary of the start of Korean War, were really important expressions of global solidarity with the churches and people of the Korean Peninsula, despite the constraints of the pandemic.
We continue to support the role and leadership of the South Korean churches – the National Council of Churches in South Korea has really been in the vanguard of these efforts for peace for many decades.
Given the practical impossibility of meeting our North Korean partners - the Korean Christian Federation - last year, we haven’t been able to officially convene the Ecumenical Forum for Korea. However, we have remained in close communication with the members of the forum informally, and we are looking forward to convening again in 2021.
Is the interest of churches growing, to engage in the peace-building initiatives for Korea?
Prove: We see more partners from among churches and church-based organizations around the world expressing interest in participating in this multilateral forum convened by the WCC. There are partners who are engaged or interested in engaging in humanitarian and development work in North Korea, and churches that want to be active in solidarity efforts for peace on the Korean Peninsula. These partners are coming from an increasingly wide range of church families; we have growing participation from Roman Catholic as well as Evangelical and other partners in the forum.
On the other hand, more and more churches and church-related organizations working in relation to North Korea are facing increasingly severe constraints due to the sanctions, deeply impacting humanitarian access and the capacity to do diaconal work with North Korean partners.
Nevertheless, the interest and commitment is still there, and we are gathering a large number and a wide spectrum of churches and church-based partners that wish to contribute.
What do you see as priorities moving forward?
Prove: Given all the unknowns, it’s vital that we maintain hope and continue to pray. Despite the fact that there are so many obstacles and constraints in terms of communication and cooperation, we should never give up.
We cannot resile from our longstanding commitment to peace and reunification for the Korean people. The problem will continue to be a problem, it will continue to fester and present a threat to the security and the future for all people in the region, and the whole world, unless a peaceful and sustainable solution is found.
What is your hope for 2021?
Prove: Our hope and prayer for this year is that there will be resumed intensity of engagement and cooperation as the COVID-19 pandemic diminishes, and even more hopefully, that there will be renewed efforts for political dialogue as the new administration in the USA has settles in.
Our purpose is as simple, and yet as deep, as remaining in relationship and communication with our Christian sisters and brothers in North Korea – despite constraints that currently exist and that have long existed in the history of our engagement with them for peace and reunification.
Ecumenical partners for peace on the Korean Peninsula gather to address changing world context (WCC press release 19 January 2021)
Commission of the Churches on International Affairs
WCC member churches in Korea
Peace and unity on the Korean Peninsula matters globally
While the peace process on the Korean Peninsula needs further progress built on trust, the COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected international humanitarian support and development cooperation efforts. World Council of Churches (WCC) communications invited Peter Prove, director of the WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, to discuss the current ecumenical engagement for Korea and role of churches in building a sustainable peace.
Image
Director of the WCC's CCIA Peter Prove, general secretary of the NCCK Rev. Lee Hong Jung (South Korea) and the chairperson of the KCF Rev. Kang Myong Chol (North Korea) holding hands in prayer and solidarity for peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula during the EFK meeting in Bangkok in 2019. Photo:
NCCK
25 February 2021
Korea
Korean Christian Federation
National Council of Churches in Korea
Share this article
SUBSCRIBE TO WCC NEWS
Asia
Commission of the Churches on International Affairs
Peace-building: Conflict transformation & Reconciliation
How do you see the current status of relations between North and South Korea?
Prove: Clearly we have suffered a very serious reversal of the circumstances for the peace process on the Korean Peninsula in general. One reason for that is the way the peace process developed itself – the mismatch of expectations and assumptions, particularly between the USA and the DPRK, and a failure to take incremental steps of trust-building to provide a basis for further progress.
Among other things, the continued imposition of the most rigorous and severe sanctions regime that has ever been applied anywhere has had a serious impact not only in terms of humanitarian access, but also in terms of the political environment for progress towards peace – and while having demonstrably failed in the stated purpose of nuclear non-proliferation.
At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic has gravely affected opportunities for practical face-to-face engagement, whether for political, humanitarian, development or ecumenical purposes. We don’t know when these opportunities will open, but we hope that the situation regarding the pandemic will alleviate, bringing improvement.
What is the role of churches in building a sustainable peace in this context?
Prove: One of the most important things that we as churches globally can do is continue to pray for peace and reunification, for a sustainable and peaceful coming together of the Korean people, and that they are made aware of this accompaniment in prayer by churches around the world.
The principle of the ecumenical movement’s engagement in this issue has always been that peace must be made between the Korean people – it won’t be made for them by others. Our role is to support and be in solidarity, to accompany and encourage them on this journey.
Even with no physical meetings, 2020 was a busy year in churches’ advocacy and peace-building initiatives for the Korean Peninsula worldwide.
Prove: Initiatives that we undertook in the course of last year, with events and gatherings marking the 70th anniversary of the start of Korean War, were really important expressions of global solidarity with the churches and people of the Korean Peninsula, despite the constraints of the pandemic.
We continue to support the role and leadership of the South Korean churches – the National Council of Churches in South Korea has really been in the vanguard of these efforts for peace for many decades.
Given the practical impossibility of meeting our North Korean partners - the Korean Christian Federation - last year, we haven’t been able to officially convene the Ecumenical Forum for Korea. However, we have remained in close communication with the members of the forum informally, and we are looking forward to convening again in 2021.
Is the interest of churches growing, to engage in the peace-building initiatives for Korea?
Prove: We see more partners from among churches and church-based organizations around the world expressing interest in participating in this multilateral forum convened by the WCC. There are partners who are engaged or interested in engaging in humanitarian and development work in North Korea, and churches that want to be active in solidarity efforts for peace on the Korean Peninsula. These partners are coming from an increasingly wide range of church families; we have growing participation from Roman Catholic as well as Evangelical and other partners in the forum.
On the other hand, more and more churches and church-related organizations working in relation to North Korea are facing increasingly severe constraints due to the sanctions, deeply impacting humanitarian access and the capacity to do diaconal work with North Korean partners.
Nevertheless, the interest and commitment is still there, and we are gathering a large number and a wide spectrum of churches and church-based partners that wish to contribute.
What do you see as priorities moving forward?
Prove: Given all the unknowns, it’s vital that we maintain hope and continue to pray. Despite the fact that there are so many obstacles and constraints in terms of communication and cooperation, we should never give up.
We cannot resile from our longstanding commitment to peace and reunification for the Korean people. The problem will continue to be a problem, it will continue to fester and present a threat to the security and the future for all people in the region, and the whole world, unless a peaceful and sustainable solution is found.
What is your hope for 2021?
Prove: Our hope and prayer for this year is that there will be resumed intensity of engagement and cooperation as the COVID-19 pandemic diminishes, and even more hopefully, that there will be renewed efforts for political dialogue as the new administration in the USA has settles in.
Our purpose is as simple, and yet as deep, as remaining in relationship and communication with our Christian sisters and brothers in North Korea – despite constraints that currently exist and that have long existed in the history of our engagement with them for peace and reunification.
Ecumenical partners for peace on the Korean Peninsula gather to address changing world context (WCC press release 19 January 2021)
Commission of the Churches on International Affairs
WCC member churches in Korea
Ecumenical partners for peace on the Korean Peninsula gather to address changing world context | World Council of Churches
Ecumenical partners for peace on the Korean Peninsula gather to address changing world context | World Council of Churches
Ecumenical partners for peace on the Korean Peninsula gather to address changing world context
Convening online on 14 January, members and supporters of the Ecumenical Forum for Peace, Reunification and Cooperation on the Korean Peninsula recalled the initiatives undertaken during 2020 despite the constraints imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and reflected on the implications of a changing global context for efforts for peace.
Image
Photo:
Paul Jeffrey/WCC
19 January 2021
Korea
National Council of Churches in Korea
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Asia
Peace-building: Conflict transformation & Reconciliation
Commission of the Churches on International Affairs
The meeting received a report on the World Council of Churches (WCC) “We Pray, Peace Now, End the War” prayer campaign, as well as news of the humanitarian and political impacts of the economic sanctions against North Korea.
In a greeting issued to the meeting participants, Rev. Dr Hong-Jung Lee, general secretary of the National Council of Churches in Korea, reflected on the “We Pray, Peace Now, End the War” global prayer campaign in 2020, and highlighted ongoing plans for peace initiatives in the next couple of years.
“Throughout the year 2020, I have come to the deep realization that the history, memory, and narrative of the Korean War are all interconnected with distinctive dimensions, involving various context-bound hermeneutical journeys of people who experienced the Korean War in different ways,” Lee said. “Through this hermeneutical journey, we the Korean people have identified causes and meanings within the Korean War, revealing in what way we remember and reinterpret and how we manifest the identities of our existence.”
Among other initiatives taken in 2020 in lieu of planned meetings and lobbying visits in support of initiatives for peace on the Korean Peninsula, Peter Prove, WCC director for International Affairs, highlighted the Joint Ecumenical Peace Message issued on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. Prove noted that this message “was co-sponsored by churches and ecumenical councils from as many as 16 countries that participated in the Korean War.”
The National Council of Churches in Korea also shared a letter sent to the US president-elect Joe Biden. The letter expressed hopes that this change in administration will mark a return to the US leading the world in protecting democracy, human rights, and life-saving responses to the global pandemic. “As we are grateful for the long and storied relationship between the US and the Republic of Korea, we look forward to a more hopeful future of working together,” reads the letter.
The participants also received expert input on how South Korea’s ban on anti-North Korea leaflets affects the context for peace-building, and how a virtual women’s pilgrimage visit to the Korean Peninsula in 2020 helped encourage and strengthen efforts for peace and reconciliation.
Presenting on the US presidential transition, Jim Winkler, president and general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, reflected on implications of the US election outcome for ecumenical efforts for peace on the Korean Peninsula. He proposed a joint meeting between the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA and the National Council of Churches in Korea to further discuss this, and expressed his commitment to hosting encounters with US policymakers in Washington to advocate for engagement and dialogue as a path to peace in Korea.
Following the meeting, Prove noted that though the pandemic had prevented planned visits and deeper engagement with the Korean Christian Federation of North Korea during 2020, “this meeting demonstrated that the ecumenical commitment to working for peace and reunification in partnership with our North and South Korean sisters and brothers remains strong and resolute.”
WCC publication The Light of Peace: Churches in Solidarity with the Korean Peninsula
The National Council of Churches in Korea
WCC member churches in Korea
Ecumenical partners for peace on the Korean Peninsula gather to address changing world context
Convening online on 14 January, members and supporters of the Ecumenical Forum for Peace, Reunification and Cooperation on the Korean Peninsula recalled the initiatives undertaken during 2020 despite the constraints imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and reflected on the implications of a changing global context for efforts for peace.
Image
Photo:
Paul Jeffrey/WCC
19 January 2021
Korea
National Council of Churches in Korea
Share this article
SUBSCRIBE TO WCC NEWS
Asia
Peace-building: Conflict transformation & Reconciliation
Commission of the Churches on International Affairs
The meeting received a report on the World Council of Churches (WCC) “We Pray, Peace Now, End the War” prayer campaign, as well as news of the humanitarian and political impacts of the economic sanctions against North Korea.
In a greeting issued to the meeting participants, Rev. Dr Hong-Jung Lee, general secretary of the National Council of Churches in Korea, reflected on the “We Pray, Peace Now, End the War” global prayer campaign in 2020, and highlighted ongoing plans for peace initiatives in the next couple of years.
“Throughout the year 2020, I have come to the deep realization that the history, memory, and narrative of the Korean War are all interconnected with distinctive dimensions, involving various context-bound hermeneutical journeys of people who experienced the Korean War in different ways,” Lee said. “Through this hermeneutical journey, we the Korean people have identified causes and meanings within the Korean War, revealing in what way we remember and reinterpret and how we manifest the identities of our existence.”
Among other initiatives taken in 2020 in lieu of planned meetings and lobbying visits in support of initiatives for peace on the Korean Peninsula, Peter Prove, WCC director for International Affairs, highlighted the Joint Ecumenical Peace Message issued on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. Prove noted that this message “was co-sponsored by churches and ecumenical councils from as many as 16 countries that participated in the Korean War.”
The National Council of Churches in Korea also shared a letter sent to the US president-elect Joe Biden. The letter expressed hopes that this change in administration will mark a return to the US leading the world in protecting democracy, human rights, and life-saving responses to the global pandemic. “As we are grateful for the long and storied relationship between the US and the Republic of Korea, we look forward to a more hopeful future of working together,” reads the letter.
The participants also received expert input on how South Korea’s ban on anti-North Korea leaflets affects the context for peace-building, and how a virtual women’s pilgrimage visit to the Korean Peninsula in 2020 helped encourage and strengthen efforts for peace and reconciliation.
Presenting on the US presidential transition, Jim Winkler, president and general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, reflected on implications of the US election outcome for ecumenical efforts for peace on the Korean Peninsula. He proposed a joint meeting between the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA and the National Council of Churches in Korea to further discuss this, and expressed his commitment to hosting encounters with US policymakers in Washington to advocate for engagement and dialogue as a path to peace in Korea.
Following the meeting, Prove noted that though the pandemic had prevented planned visits and deeper engagement with the Korean Christian Federation of North Korea during 2020, “this meeting demonstrated that the ecumenical commitment to working for peace and reunification in partnership with our North and South Korean sisters and brothers remains strong and resolute.”
WCC publication The Light of Peace: Churches in Solidarity with the Korean Peninsula
The National Council of Churches in Korea
WCC member churches in Korea
North Korea news: Horrors of Christian persecution laid bare in harrowing report | World | News | Express.co.uk
North Korea news: Horrors of Christian persecution laid bare in harrowing report | World | News | Express.co.uk
Christian persecution: North Korea horrors laid bare in harrowing report into labour camps
HORRIFIC details have emerged from North Korean detention camps in which people are imprisoned, tortured and killed simply for being Christian.
By SIMON OSBORNE
00:00, Wed, Oct 28, 2020 | UPDATED: 10:09, Wed, Oct 28, 2020
North Korea: Defector discusses threats to her life in 2014
A shocking new report from London-based campaign group Korea Future Initiative lifts the lid on widespread abuse and religious persecution in Kim Jong-un's hermit kingdom. The report contains eye-witness accounts from survivors of the brutal camps who were subjected to almost unimaginable cruelty as a punishment for the beliefs. Survivors said Christians arrested for owning a Bible were fed water and sand, beaten, electrocuted and shot dead in front of fellow detainees.
North Korea exposed: Photo smuggled out shows reality of Kim's regime
North Korea’s horror treatment of detainees exposed in report
Are You Over 40? This game is a must - No Install(RAID)
The horrors of North Korea's prison camps have been exposed in a shocking new report (Image: GETTY)
One survivor described his ordeal in a tiny metal cage (Image: KOREA FUTURE INITIATIVE)
Brutal beatings were commonplace in the labour camps (Image: KOREA FUTURE INITIATIVE)
Eyewitnesses have given harrowing evidence of torture in the camps (Image: KOREA FUTURE INITIATIVE)
A female guard on patrol at a North Korea prison camp (Image: GETTY)N. Korean Christians keep faith underground amid crackdowns
N. Korean Christians keep faith underground amid crackdowns
By HYUNG-JIN KIMFebruary 2, 2019
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — One North Korean defector in Seoul describes her family back home quietly singing Christian hymns every Sunday while someone stood watch for informers. A second cowered under a blanket or in the toilet when praying in the North. Yet another recalls seeing a fellow prison inmate who’d been severely beaten for refusing to repudiate her religion.
These accounts from interviews with The Associated Press provide a small window into how underground Christians in North Korea struggle to maintain their faith amid persistent crackdowns.
The North’s treatment of Christians could become a bigger issue if North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s expected second summit with President Donald Trump produces significant progress, and if Pope Francis follows through on his expressed willingness to take up Kim’s invitation to visit North Korea.
Most of North Korea’s underground Christians do not engage in the extremely dangerous work of proselytizing, according to defectors and outside experts. Instead, they largely keep their beliefs to themselves or within their immediate families. But even those who stay deep underground face danger, defectors say.
North Korea has previously arrested South Korean and American missionaries for allegedly attempting to build underground church networks or overthrow its government. Only a small number of North Korean believers risk trying to win converts, defectors say.
One woman interviewed said she converted about 10 relatives and neighbors and held secret services before defecting to the South.
“I wanted to build my church and sing out as loud as I could,” said the woman, who is now a pastor in Seoul. She insisted on only being identified with her initials, H.Y., because of serious worries about the safety of her converts and family in the North.
The pastor and others spoke with AP because they wanted to highlight the persecution they feel Christians face in North Korea. Although the comments cannot be independently confirmed, they generally match the previous claims of other defectors.
Kim Yun Tae, head of the Unification Strategy Institution, a private think tank in Seoul, said he’s heard similar testimonies about religious crackdowns and underground Christians during interviews with more than 1,000 defectors from North Korea over the past 20 years.
North Korea has five government-sanctioned churches in its capital, Pyongyang, but experts say they are fakes aimed at covering up the nation’s religious abuse and winning outside aid. North Korea had a flourishing population of Christians before the 1950-53 Korean War, but it has withered amid successive clampdowns against a faith the government sees as a U.S.-led Western threat.
“From an outside perspective, there is absolutely no religious freedom in North Korea,” said Kim Yun Tae, who isn’t religious.
The U.S. State Department has included North Korea on its list of countries violating religious freedom every year since 2001. North Korea has previously bristled at U.S. criticism of its religious record, calling it proof of hostility toward its leadership.
In October, Pope Francis indicated his willingness to visit North Korea to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who conveyed Kim’s desire for a papal visit, according to Vatican and South Korean officials.
Moon’s office cited Francis as saying that “if the invitation comes, I will surely respond to it, and I can possibly go.”
Most remaining Christians in North Korea likely learned about the religion when they went to China after a devastating famine killed hundreds of thousands in the mid-1990s. Converts were later captured in China and jailed once they were sent back to the North.
Most denied their faith while being interrogated, as H.Y. said she was later forced to do when imprisoned in the North, so they could survive. But not everyone did.
Another defector in Seoul, Kwak Jeong-ae, 65, said a fellow inmate in North Korea told guards about her own religious beliefs and insisted on using her baptized name, rather than her original Korean name, during questioning in 2004.
“She persisted in saying, ‘My name is Hyun Sarah; it’s the name that God and my church have given to me,’” Kwak said. “She told (the interrogators), ‘I’m a child of God and I’m not scared to die. So if you want to kill me, go ahead and kill me.’”
Kwak said Hyun told her about what she did during the interrogations, and Hyun’s actions were confirmed to Kwak by another inmate who was interrogated alongside her. Kwak said she later saw Hyun, then 23, coming back from an interrogation room with severe bruises on her forehead and bleeding from her nose. Days later, guards took Hyun away for good.
Actions like that strike many defectors and South Koreans as extraordinary.
More common are stories like that from another defector, who also insisted on anonymity because of fears for her family in the North. She said she only prayed under a blanket or in the toilet because of worries of being caught.
Another, who was jailed after being repatriated from China, described praying silently in his cell after a hungry fellow prisoner shared some precious kernels of corn.
“We communicated by writing on our palms (with our fingers). I told him I was a Christian and asked whether he was too,” said the man, who asked to be identified only as J.M., citing safety concerns about his siblings in the North.
Some were even more outspoken.
Jung Gwangil, a North Korean defector-turned-activist, said he saw a man praying and singing hymns when they were held together at a detention facility in the northern city of Hoeryong in October 1999. The man was beaten frequently and one day was hauled away, Jung said.
“While leaving, he shouted to us, ‘God will save you.’ I hadn’t encountered Christianity before at the time, and I thought he was crazy,” said Jung. It wasn’t clear what happened to the man.
After H.Y. was sent back again to North Korea, she began evangelical work with money she received regularly from outside missionary groups. She said she first tried to win people’s trust by lending them money, handing out corn and helping at funerals before cautiously telling them about Christianity.
“We sang hymns very quietly, looking at each other’s lips. I ended up crying quite often,” she said of her converts.
Now in her early 40s, she said she regularly sends money to North Korea through brokers to maintain her village’s underground congregation.
___
Follow Hyung-jin Kim at www.twitter.com/hyungjin1972
N. Korean Christians keep faith underground amid crackdowns
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