THE KUKMIN DAILY

Thirty-three churches founded by clergy who are North Korean defectors, together with 1,000 former North Koreans who are Christian believers, are preparing to hold a large-scale prayer meeting. The organizing committee for the Unification Hope Prayer Meeting (president: Rev. Kang Cheol-ho) announced on April 17 that the “Unification Hope Special Prayer Meeting” (poster) will open at 1 p.m. on April 28 at Hansarang Church in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, the day after the North-South summit meeting. It is expected to be the largest prayer meeting organized by former North Koreans in South Korea so far.

At the event, prayers will focus on peaceful North-South reunification and evangelization of North Koreans who have escaped South. In particular, as the prayer meeting targets North Korean defectors, all parts of the service are being led by former residents of the North. During the four-hour event, seven pastors who are former North Koreans will lead prayer in turn. Time also will be set aside for former North Korean believers to read aloud their letters to parents, brothers and sisters in their hometowns, and their memoirs on resettlement in the South.

Rev. Kang, who, as president of the Christian Council of North Korea, has planned the event, explained in an interview with Kukmin Daily, “I prepared with the thought that to the extent the South Korean churches are praying hard for Gospel-based unification, we North Korean defectors should add our strength.” He said in a voice choked with emotion, “In this process, I was thinking about this being the 70th year of political division with two governments in the Korean peninsula, and hoping I could go back to my hometown, and then, thanks to God, it was decided to hold the prayer meeting the day after the summit meeting.”

“The prayer meeting will also be a place to appeal to the Lord with lamenting hearts for our brothers and sisters and national leaders in North Korea and China…Furthermore, through our prayers we will proclaim to the leaders of the world that peace can be realized only through Christ.”

Reporter Yang Minkyeong (grieg@kmib.co.kr), with Marion Kim (marionkkim@icloud.com)


Original Article in Korean:
탈북민 출신 목회자가 세운 33개 교회 탈북 기독인 1000명 ‘통일 소원 특별 기도회’: 28일 서울 한사랑교회