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For Reconciliation and Unification on the Korean peninsula
Korea Peace Project
Presented by Rev. Heawon Chae
Executive coordinator for the Ecumenical Forum for Korea
January 2014
Background:
The peace of the Korean peninsula in the geographical context of North–East Asia
After the Second World War ended, the era of Cold War brought about the division of Korea and the Korean War due to the competitive military systems of the USA and the USSR. After Communist Eastern Europe was disassembled in the 1990s, the USA has come to power with geopolitical supremacy. Recently, the USA changed its military axis into Asia-Pacific areas. The U.S. military-supremacy strategy of targeting China is threatening peace in North-East Asia and thus the military tension in the Korean peninsula and in the North-East Asia is rising.
The Korean peninsula is located in the center of this geopolitical sphere. Therefore, the peace of the Korean peninsula is deeply related to peace of North-East Asia. Countries such as USA, China, Japan and Russia and their connection, their move and change of position has led to an explosion of the situation rather than lessening the tension.
In this context, 2013 is the 60th anniversary of the armistice agreement after the 3-year long Korean War. Korean church believes that division of the Korean peninsula should not be tolerated any more. The overcoming of the division between South and North Korea and building peace on the Korean peninsula are merely not the problem of South and North Korea but the responsibility of the countries which participated in the armistice agreement, and their churches’ cooperation will be an important factor in bringing peace.
The World Council of Churches has been deeply concerned on peace issue of the Korean peninsula since the 1950s and contributed to the social justice movement for human rights in Korea in the 1970s. In the 1980s, WCC assisted Korean church’s effort to overcome the division of the Korean peninsula for peace, and has been deeply involved in national wishes to achieve unification of the two Koreas and has made historical steps toward unification. Through the “North-East Peace Conference” in Tozanso, Japan in 1984, it has played an important role for links and dialogue between churches of South and North Korea as the name of “Tozando process”. The Korean Church presented “The Declaration of South Korean Churches for the Peaceful Reunification of the Korean Peninsula” in 1988 and released another document about the peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula in 2010.
We perceive that the theme of the Busan Assembly, “God of life, lead us to justice and peace” is especially meaningful in North-East Asia. With hope to actualize the value of the theme in the World Council of Churches 10th Assembly, we are proposing a few projects for this Assembly such as; Peace Campaign to build peace and put an end to the division of the Korean peninsula which continues the 60 years of ceasefire ; Peace Concert to sing peace in the DMZ between South and North Korea; Peace Train, travelling from Berlin, which experienced its own division and unification, to Busan, through Moscow, Beijing, Pyongyang and Seoul, penetrating the barrier between South and North Korea and thus sending message of peace to the WCC Assembly.
Points
• Without a solution of the divided Korean peninsula, the Cold War era will never end.
• The life of people in North Korea should not be victimized because of political reason, hostile policy toward North Korea, economic sanction.
• We should end Armistice Agreement and build peace system in the Korean peninsula.
1. Division of Korean Peninsula, its Historical background:
• The World War II
• August 15 Liberation in 1945
• The Division by Foreign powers
• Korean War 1950-1953
• Armistice Agreement July 27, 1953 and 60 years of division
The Division was started by foreign powers even at the time of the World War II.
After the World War II, Korea was freed from 36 years of Japanese occupation on August 15th 1945, but right away the USA and former Soviet Union intervened in the issue of Korean independence and separated the country along the 38th parallel. Countries freed from Germany and Japan became to be under the interest relationship of USA and former Soviet Union. Russia promised to participate in the attack to Japan, and it became to get the right to occupy northern part of Korea. In the meetings of Cairo(1943. 12.1), Postdam, and Yalta(1945. 2. 11) which dealt with issues like the end of war and postwar issue and measures
• 1945 8. 9, the former Soviet Union attacked Japan.
• 1945 8. 10, Japan surrendered.
• USA decided to make Russia occupy the North and USA the South in order to take Japan out.
• 1948 5.10 General election only in South Korea – Republic of Korea
• 1948 9.9. the North Korea established DPRK
• Due to different occupation policy by USA and Soviet Union, the North and the South drifted apart.
• 1950-1953 Korean War
• The War and Division has brought about around 2,500,000 death of life, 10,000,000 separated families
• After 3 year-long Korean War(1950-1953), Armistice Agreement among US, China and North Korea was declared on the 27th of July, 1953.
Agreement between the Commander-in-Chief, United Nations Command (Mark W. Clark), the Supreme Commander of the Korean People’s Army (Kim Il Sung) and And the Commander of the Chinese People’s volunteers (Peng Dehuai)
Í This was not the end to war, but a ceasefire.
Í This is not just the matter of North and South, but of hegemony of power countries in Northeast Asia.
• The Republic of Korea (South Korea) was not included in its signature. It is because the army in South Korea was considered as the UN army due to giving the wartime military operational control to the UN commander during the war in July 1950
• More than one million soldiers each part confront each other with military antagonism
From that time, 60 years of division between South and North Korea has been continued.
• Pro-communist ideology, the National Security Law which fosters North and South conflict as well as reinforce political power, and it affects every corner of people’s life and security.
2. Building Peace System in the Korean peninsula
1) International society should declare to end Cold-war system in the Korean peninsula.
2) We should implement agreements and promises which the North and the South already agreed such as July 4th South and North Joint Communique in 1972 : Inter-Korean Basic Agreement: June 15 Joint Statement; October 4th Communique:
3) We should change the Armistice Agreement to Peace Treaty
2-1. NCCK Peace Project: Peace Madang and Peace Train
• The Year of 2013 :
1) 60th Anniversary of Armistice Agreement on the Korean peninsula
The issue of division and reunification is not just the matter of North and South, but of power countries in the world, and it is deeply related to peace in Northeast Asia and the world. **
The super Powers such as the United States of America, China, Japan and Russia have entered into competition, based in North-East Asia. After the Second World War ended, the era of Cold War brought about the Korean War and the Vietnam war, and world was subordinated to the competitive military systems of the USA and the USSR. Recently, the USA changed its military axis into Asia-Pacific areas. The U.S. military-supremacy strategy is threatening peace in North-East Asia and thus the military tension in the Korean peninsula and in the North-East Asia is rising. The Korean peninsula is located in the center of this geopolitical sphere. Therefore, the peace of the Korean peninsula is deeply related to peace of North-East Asia and the world.
2) the year of WCC 10th Assembly in Busan, Korea
Hosting the WCC 10th Assembly, we expect that world church could contribute on the task of reconciliation and peace in the Korean peninsula. WCC has been deeply concerned peace on the Korean peninsula from the time of 1970s for human rights, democratization and peace issues, especially through “Tozanso Process” in 1984. ** This Assembly is the first one in the region of Northeast Asia.
The theme of Busan Assembly : “God of life, lead us to justice and peace”
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We perceive that the theme of the Busan Assembly, “God of life, lead us to justice and peace” is especially meaningful in North-East Asia. All the issue of life, justice, peace is articulated in this area. it has to contribute on the confirmation of security of people has lived in this divided country for over 60 years. It has to make North Korea representatives to attend this Assembly.And we anticipate for the churches in China to play an important role for peace in the Northeast Asia. With hope to actualize the value of the theme in the World Council of Churches 10th Assembly, we are proposing a few projects for this Assembly such as; Peace Campaign to build peace and put an end to the division of the Korean peninsula which continues the 60 years of ceasefire ; Peace Concert to sing peace in the DMZ between South and North Korea; Peace Train, travelling from Berlin, which experienced its own division and unification, to Busan, through Moscow, Beijing, Pyongyang and Seoul, penetrating the barrier between South and North Korea and thus sending message of peace to the WCC Assembly.
• We remember that the WCC was established by Christians who longed for peace after the experience of world wars, and so it is very meaningful that the 10th Assembly will be held in the Korean Peninsula whose division was the result of World War II and the Cold War. Therefore this Assembly has an important task of reconciliation and peace on the Korean peninsula, and we have faith that a solution can be achieved by the world churches.
4. Introduction to Peace Train
Approaching to the 10th General Assembly of WCC to be held in 2013, Peace project aimed to inform the world of the agony of a 60-year division of the Korean peninsula and the importance of peace and unification in the lessening of tension between South and North Korea and all over the world. Some 130 people from around the world was traveling and included church and civil society representatives. Covering a distance of some 10,500 kilometers, they arrived in Busan on 28th October and hold a Thanks-giving worship on 29th October. It started from Berlin(Germany) to Seoul and Busan via Moscow(Russia), Irkutsk(Russia), Beijing(China) and Dandoong(China). This project was supported by many ecumenical churches and organizations. Among 130 people, half of them were Koreans, proclaiming passionately their longing for reunification. The others, from 14 countries, as far away as Brazil, African nations of Malawi, Nigeria and Ethiopia, from India, Indonesia, New Zealand and Australia, North America, Europe and Ukraine, formed a community in the vision of peace.
Peace Train is a peace journey seeking the Korean peninsula’s peaceful unification and the transformation of the political situation between South and North Korea. Peace Train stressed the importance of achieving peace system on the Korean peninsula and cooperated with the Churches of countries who participated in the division of the Korean peninsula in 1953, and thus had the opportunity of contributing to the peace of the Korean peninsula, Northeast Asia and world.
“Siberian” section as a part of the whole peace train route also was especially meaningful for Korean people because it was a kind of march to trace the pain of uprooted people who migrated in that area. Since 1800s Korean poor people moved for seeking a new land for their life and settled down there, and in the 1920 and 1930’s under Japanese occupation, not only farmers but also independence activists fled and moved to that area, and later lots of them were forced to move to other areas according to Russia’s ethnic minority policy. Journeying toward peace for Korean peninsula as well as the world, it is a history which should not be forgotten.
5. Peace Madang at significant stops of Peace Train
1) Peace Madang in Berlin
The journey started in Berlin. Germany is a meaningful venue because of the reunification of East and West Germany in 1989. The meaning and lesson of the reunification of Germany which experienced the imposed division after World War II and life through the Cold War in the divided state is very crucial. After the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the symbol of Cold War between East and West, Germany experienced conflict and pain in the process of achieving social integration and German churches played a role in the unification. Like them, churches in South and North Korea should prepare for the era of unification.
Opening ceremony at the Heilandskirche at Berlin-Moabit on 7th of October 2013
Organizer : Rev. Dr. Christof Theilemann (Berliner Missionswerk)
Greetings : Rev. Paul Oppenheim (EKD), Mr. Botschafter a.D. Michael Geier (former German Embassador in Korea), Rev. Young-Ju Kim(General Secretary of NCCK)
Symposium:
1 “The role and contribution of Germany and German churches on the Korean peninsula’s unification”
Moderator : Mr. Lutz Drescher (EMS)
Presented by Prof. Dr. You Jae Lee (Tuebingen University)
2 “Ecumenical Community’s contribution on the Peace on the Korean peninsula”
Moderator : Dr. Christof Theilemann (BMW)
Presented by Prof. Dr. Konrad Raiser, former General Secretary of the WCC
3. “Churches for Peace and Reunification Making Future”
Presented by Prof. emer. Jong-Sun Noh(Yonsei University)
4. Berlin Peace Message adopted by all participants
Candlelight Worship Service for peace at the Brandenburg Gate - symbol of division and reunification of Germany. Their scripture for reflection was Isaiah 52, verse 7 which says "How wonderful it is to see the messenger coming across the mountains, bringing good news, the news of peace!" It os wonderful these messengers have gathered from north, south, east and west to witness to peace. Join your prayers to theirs. Isaiah 52, verse 12 says 'The Lord your God will lead you and protect you on every side.
On the second day in Berlin they did a most meaningful pilgrimage of the places that mark division and reunification, pain and reconciliation, death and life - among them Berlin Reconciliation Church, Berlin Wall memorial, Holocaust memorial. There were many stories told.
From Berlin to Moscow : 26 hours of train travel
2) Peace Madang in Moscow
Russia is one of countries which affect Korea’s modern history. In the coming years, Russia should be a strategic partner for cooperation in the process of and after unification of the Korean peninsula.
Seminar: organized by Russian Orthodox Church at the Danilovsky Hotel, Moscow, on 11th October 2013
Greetings by Metroplitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk (Chairman of Department for External Church Relations, Moscow Patriarchate)
Rev. Kim Young Ju (General Secretary of the NCCK)
Lectures presented by
1“Religions for Justice and Peace, An Ecumenical Approach” : Dr. Guillermo Kerber(WCC)
2. “WCC Initiatives and the Tozanso Process for Peace and Reunification of Korea” : Dr. Mathews George (WCC/CCIA)
3. “The Issue of Peace in Inter-Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Evangelical Church in Germany”: Rev. Dr. Rolf Koppe (Bishop Emeritus for Foreign Affairs, EKD)
4. “International Politics to Regional cooperation: Reflecting European Security and Cooperation on Northeast Asia” : Dr. Suh Bo-Hyuk (Prof. Seoul National University-Institute for Peace and Unification)
5. “Russia’s Efforts for Peace and Reconciliation in Korea”: Dr. Zhebin Alexander Z (director of the Center for Korean Studies of the Institute of Far Eastern Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences)
6. “Sergey Riakhovsy (Bishop of the Union of the Evangelical Faith Christians-Pentecostals in Russia)
7. “Cross-cultural Interaction as a Factor of Public Stability” Example of Orthodox-Protestant Relations”: Zaitsev Evgeniy V. (doctor of thelolgy, Director of the Institute for Biblical Studies, Church of the Seventh Day Adventists)
From Moscow to Irkutsk: 5 days and 4 nights in the train
3) Peace Madang in Irkutsk : the home of the beautiful Baikal Lake
Peace Madang focusing on the Environment “Religious Communities and protection of the environment” at this unique place; home to 1,700 species of plants and animals, 2/3 of which can be found nowhere else in the world.
From Irkutsk to Beijing : 3 days and 2 nights in the train
(Russia --> Mogolia --> China: entry and departure fomalities
4) In Beijing
l We expected CCC(China Christian Council)’s Contribution
It is important because • Peace on the Korean peninsula also is closely related to peace in the Northeast Asia, and therefore the role of the church in China is very crucial. • Through Peace Train project, participants could have deep understanding of problem which the Church of China is facing with and commitment to peace building in the area through praying together.
However we visited a few churches and met with the president of Beijing regional office of CCC.
5) In Dandoong, border city between China and North Korea
Even though we had tried our every effort to persuaded both governments of the North and the South for entering into Pyungyang, instead of Pyungyang peace train team visited Dandoong and had opportunity to see North Korea and to pray for reunification there
6) In Busan : Peace Train team arrived 28th of October, and 29th they had a Thank-giving worship service. Rev. Paul Oppenheim (EKD) preached and 6 person’s witness and story-telling were moved.
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