RECONCILIATION   REUNIFICATION

Proposal for an Ecumenical Agency for Sharing and Solidarity for Peace in North East Asia

On behalf of the National Council of Churches in Korea, the convening body for this consultation, I want to express my deep appreciation to all the world church leaders who as brothers and sisters are participating in this gathering to search for the role of the churches for peace in North East Asia.

Our world today is changing at an astonishing rate, and the political situation in North East Asia, surrounding the Korean Peninsula, is also undergoing rapid change.

Starting with the Tozanso consultation in 1984, continuing through the Glion meetings in 1986, 88 and 90, and the 1995 Kyoto consultation, the co-operation and efforts of our sisters and brothers in the ecumenical Christian community have contributed greatly toward peace and reunification of the Korean peninsula, the last remaining divided country on earth.

In co-operation with the world church, the Jubilee Movement of the Korean church has been an important stimulant in the fervent movement for reunification which has helped to thaw the frozen reality of the divided Korea. In light of these developments, the governments of South and North Korea adopted the "Basic Agreement on Reconciliation, Nonaggression and Exchange and Co-operation between South and North Korea." As a result, the South Korean Church as a whole has come to adopt reunification as its primary missional task.

It is my sincere hope that the consensus achieved through this consultation process will be faithfully honoured and kept in order that in the very near future, we will be able to invite all of you to a meeting between the churches of the North and South on the Korean peninsula. I also hope that we will maintain the process by holding the Fifth and Sixth International Consultations. We will require great co-operation from all the leaders of the WCC and overseas churches if we are to succeed in this process. NCCK proposed this consultation for the purposes of seeking the possibility of sharing with you the small fruits of our experiences of "sharing and solidarity in North East Asia", and of expanding them.

As you know, the sovereignty of the Korean peninsula, due to its geographical and political situation, has been threatened by the big powers including Japan, and has suffered foreign invasions. Though we are neighbours, we have found ourselves in a position of both near and far. In fact, it is only recently that Korea has established relations with Russia, China, and that North Korea has started meetings for the normalisation of relations with the US and Japan.

In recent years, inter-government co-operation, even among former enemy states, has become a possibility due to changes in the international political situation and mutual need. Nevertheless achieving reconciliation and unity among the peoples has not been as easy because of the long history of mutual conflict and mistrust. However, we cannot stop making the effort just because it is difficult. In this lies the strength of the Christian; the source of our power is agape-love, and the concrete expression of this love is sharing and solidarity. In addition, through our spiritual unity in Christ, we have prayed earnestly for reconciliation.

First of all, in the past decade, the Korean church organised the "Movement to Send Bibles and Hymnals to the Socialist Countries" for the purpose of reconciliation and co-operation with the socialist block. Through this activity we began to form co-operative relationships which had been prohibited before. Through this movement, the Korean churches were successful to a certain extent in achieving unity and co-operation among themselves, and in contributing to the ecumenical movement of the world church.

We were also able to co-operate in the establishment of a Bible printing and publishing centre by the Russian Orthodox Church, to hold an international consultation to formulate a joint policy in regards to the Unification Church problem, and to increase the breadth of our mutual understanding. With the China Church Council, we have held consultations, adopted a joint agreement, established a ground for co-operation and solidarity, and are taking part in the reconstruction of Tong Bei Theological Seminary.

In terms of the co-operation within the Korean denominations, the efforts of the Korean church to achieve unity in the work for peace and reunification have resulted in great progress. In concrete terms, the Korean churches organised the Korean Christian Council for the Promotion of Peace and Reunification, and the North-South Sharing Campaign for Peace and Reunification. Through these efforts, we have made great strides to actualise reconciliation and unity for national peace and reunification.

Just as the Korean churches have worked towards achieving unity and co-operation with the world church in the work for peace and reunification, the churches of North East Asia have been able to engage in profound co-operation and solidarity. It is my prayer that all of our efforts will bring us closer to the organisation of an ecumenical agency which will implement the purpose of our consultation for "Sharing and Solidarity for Peace in North East Asia." Such an organisation will help strengthen the churches’ mutual understanding and trust, promote peace in North East Asia, and ultimately bring about North-South reunification.

This regional organisation /agency for solidarity will have as its official members South Korea, North Korea, the US, Japan, China and Russia, and as co-operative partners the WCC, CCA, and overseas churches which have made efforts for peace on the Korean peninsula.

This solidarity agency will have a clearly defined purpose and method of operation which will be specified in a separate constitution; a board of directors should evaluate and decide on the projects of the various churches, and the staff should carry out the work.

Through this solidarity agency, the regional churches may be able to accomplish necessary work which would have been impossible otherwise and achieve balanced church development.

As we seriously reflect on the ongoing suffering of the recently reunified peoples, we must try our best to minimise similar conflicts and distrust which could arise following the peaceful reunification of Korea. Thus, the fraternity and co-operation of the churches of North East Asia becomes imperative, if North and South are to achieve balanced development, reconciliation and unity as one people and become a society overflowing with justice. I sincerely hope that with your help, we can put this proposal into practice, and thus realise the great love of Jesus Christ.

I would like to express my gratitude to all of you gathered here who have worked unceasingly to make this consultation possible.

Thank you very much.

30th January, 1996