"Prayer Rally for Peace on the Korean Peninsula” Planned for July in Washington, D.C.
2014-04-03 10:57
On March 30, the Reconciliation and Reunification Committee of NCCK announced that it will hold a “Peace Rally and Prayer for Peace on the Korean Peninsula” this coming July in Washington, D.C., joining with major U.S. Christian denominations such as United Methodist Church (UMC) and Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), to raise global interest and participation in the movement for peace and reunification of the Korean Peninsula.
On July 25, the first day of the two-day event, participants will analyze the “Statement on Peace and Reunification of the Korean Peninsula,” which was adopted at the WCC Busan Assembly last year, and will discuss future action plans. The National Council of Churches in the U.S.A. and Canadian churches will join to discuss their role and specific plans for peace in Korea. On the morning of July 26, participants will march from the event venue to the front of the White House (1.2 km), where they will hold a prayer rally for peace and reunification of the Korean Peninsula.
UMC is planning to send an official invitation to WCC soon. If WCC decides to participate, it will be very significant, as the first official move of the world church for peace on the Korean peninsula following last year’s Busan Assembly. The Statement from the Assembly declared, “We are convinced that it is the right time to begin a new process towards a comprehensive peace treaty that will replace the 1953 Armistice Agreement and secure just and peaceful relations among nations in the region while normalizing relations between North and South, and facilitating Korean reunification.”
The event in July is a follow-up of the Ecumenical Korea Peace Conference, held in May last year in Atlanta. At that time, 10 participating organizations, including NCCK, UMC, and PC, adopted a resolution through which they promised their future efforts to replace the 1953 Armistice Agreement with a peace treaty. In mid-March, UMC participated in Ecumenical Advocacy Day, held in D.C., shared opinions with representatives from the U.S. Protestant churches on the rally and prayer event in July, and officially requested NCCK to join them.
An officer of NCCK said, “As this year marks the 30th anniversary of the Tozanso Statement, it is a very important year for the churches of South and North Korea and for the world church, toward the reunification of the Korean Peninsula. My hope is that a 10-year action plan will be formulated through this event in July.” He added, “We’re planning to cooperate closely with UMC so that representatives of the Korean and U.S. Protestant churches can deliver our message to those who are directly related to peace issues on the Korean Peninsula, including major figures in the State Department.
* What is the “Tozanso Statement”?
The Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA) of WCC held a consultation on peace and justice in Northeast Asia from October 29 to November 2, 1984, in Tozanso, Japan, and adopted this statement. The participating church leaders from some 20 countries voiced their belief that “encounter and dialogue between the churches of South and North are crucial to overcome the division that harms justice and peace, for which partnership of the world church is necessary.” The movement for peace on the Korean peninsula gained momentum through this consultation, and WCC representatives visited North Korea in 1985. In September the next year, 1986, the South and North Korean churches met in Glion, Switzerland, for the first time since the Korean War.
Reporter Choi Seung Wook (applesu@kmib.co.kr), with Yeara Ahn-Park (yap@kmib.co.kr)
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