THE KUKMIN DAILY

The National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK)’s Reconciliation and Reunification Committee organized and led a discussion meeting on July 21 at the Korean Christian Building in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the topic “The Role of the Korean Church in Securing Peace in the Korean Peninsula.” The participants were of one accord in recognizing that in this 70th year of division, it is time for the Korean churches to take an interest in the South-North issue and get positively involved in the reunification movement.

Rev. Song Byeong-gu (Saekdong Church in Uiwang, Gyeonggi-do), a member of the NCCK Reconciliation and Reunification Committee, pointed out, “Up to now the Korean church’s reunification movement has been very inconsistent.” He said that church circles weren’t concerned about the reunification issue, and had failed to popularize the reunification movement. “Though the Korean churches have held (reunification-related) worship services and prayer meetings, the activities they are best at, these have been only one-time events rather than a sustained process,” Rev. Song said, adding, “There has been no challenge or sacrifice as befits a church.”

In explaining the reasons for the Korean churches’ negligence of the reunification issue, he emphasized, “We shouldn’t fix on church circles’ increased conservatism as the reason.” In his analysis, “The church has always been on guard against progressive programs. The poverty of the Christian reunification movement is due to its absence of conscious purpose and vision.” He continued, “To a Christian, the reunification movement is not a slogan or an event. The churches must lead in the work to actualize justice and peace… The church has a one-and-only opportunity for change: its sincere participation in the process toward peaceful reunification.”

Voices also were heard calling for the younger generation to take an interest in the reunification problem. Han Se-uk, general secretary of the Ecumenical Youth Council of Korea, said, “Right now the biggest task of the reunification movement is to inform teenagers and youth about the necessity for reunification and to help them be subjects of the movement.” He declared, “We must encourage young people to participate…We also need to move steadily forward with the object of having the churches of South and North gather in one place for worship together.”

Prof. Kim Geun-shik of Kyungnam University (speaker in photo) expressed deep worry over the stoppage of South-North relations. “South Korea and North Korea need to acknowledge one another and share a mind for coexistence,” he said. “Restoration of peace on the Korean peninsula is urgent at this time.”

Reporter Park Ji Hun (lucidfall@kmib.co.kr), with Marion Kim (marionkkim@icloud.com)
Photo by senior reporter Kang Min Seok


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