Korean Peace Needs Focus on Justice

The success of peace and reconciliation initiatives on the Korean peninsula won’t make much headway until they are linked with justice issues such as the right to free association and access to food and education, a senior church leader recently told a global gathering of peace advocates and academics in Seoul, South Korea. 

“Providing charity alleviates some of the symptoms, but we need much more than that. We need a clear commitment to justice for all,” Setri Nyomi, general secretary of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC), said in a keynote speech he presented at the  third in a series of seminars on peace and reconciliation hosted by Youngnak Presbyterian Church in South Korea to honor its founding pastor, Kyung-Chik Han.

The World Communion of Reformed Churches sprang to life last summer at a meeting on the campus of Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich. The Christian Reformed Church is a member.

Nyomi was addressing more than 100 participants from 51 countries who  are in Korea through Nov. 4  for a four-day seminar exploring the theme Building Communities of Peace.

Originally from North Korea, Pastor Han dedicated his career to seeking reconciliation in the divided country. The Religious Studies Section at York St. John University in Great Britain is co-sponsor of the event that marks the 10th anniversary of Han’s death.

Participants in the seminar include representatives from South Africa, Croatia, Burundi and Sri Lanka.

In his presentation, Nyomi paid tribute to the efforts of WCRC member churches in Korea for their commitment to reconciliation between North and South Korea.

“There is a need to strengthen the contacts between the church in North Korea and the church in South Korea,” Nyomi said.   “Efforts at annual prayer meetings ... and the development of common prayer give us a glimmer of hope.”

Christians represent 29.2 percent of the population in South Korea with 8.6 million Protestants and 5.1 million Catholics. Reliable statistics about North Korean Christians are not readily available. However, the state-controlled Korean Christian Federation, a Protestant organization, has 12,000 members. 

The seminar opened with a trip to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) which separates North and South. In a ceremony at the Songak Prayer House overlooking North Korea, international representatives offered prayers accompanied by traditional Korean music.

The gathering of Christians at the border came in the wake of meetings in which families from North and South Korea met for the first time since the country was separated in the 1950’s. An additional 80,000 people are said to be waiting their chance for a family reunion.

In a sermon on October 31, Nyomi told worshippers at a parish in Seoul that they could set a good example for secular society and political authorities by working to overcome divisions among churches. By accepting those who are different from them, Nyomi says, “Christians will be in a strong position to challenge the powers that want to keep Korea divided and speak clearly on the fact that this is one people.”

WCRC has 230 member churches representing 80 million Christians are active worldwide in initiatives supporting economic, climate and gender justice, mission, and cooperation among Christians of different traditions.

--