March 19, 2014

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

Warm greetings from the NCCK!

I am pleased to share with you the NCCK and the KCF Joint Declaration on the 95th Anniversary of the Independence Movement (March 1) which is attached.

Recently, the Japanese conservative ideology is being accelerated without any apologies with respect to past wrong doings that Japan has done. Japanese government attitude makes the neighboring countries concerned and worried about unstable political situation in Northeast Asia.

Here I would like to cordially ask you in the ecumenical community to join our prayer for peace and political stability in Northeast Asia.

With best wishes.

Rev. Dr. Kim Young-Ju
General Secretary,
The National Council of Churches in Korea

Joint Agreement on the 95th anniversary of

Independence Movement (March 1)

Blessed are the peacemakers... (Mt 5:9a)

Why have they provoked me to anger with their images, with their foreign idols? (Jer 8:19c)

It has been 95 years since the historic day when our people opposed the savage Japanese military rule and triggered the national anti-Japanese patriotic resistance to restore their lost country and national independence.

The Independence Movement (March 1) was the most memorable event in the history of our national liberation movement against Japanese occupation. It revealed that our people will never accept a foreign yoke and an oppressive rule. It also disclosed how noble were the spirit of independence, the patriotic zeal and the indomitable will of our people.

Many patriotic Christians of Chosun (Korean people) who participated in the uprising cried out "Independence of Korea", even though Japan cruelly suppressed them with guns and swords.

Although Japan should make an apology for the crimes against humanity of their occupation of Korea and pay proper compensation to the victims, rather they still try to glorify their past wrong doings and rekindle a militaristic spirit. They have reached a dangerous level of preparing the institutional, legal and material foundations for a militant nation which means the restoration of the glory of 'strong Japan'.

The current Abe administration (in Japan) is openly pushing ahead with the restoration of militarism and exposing its ambitions for war, and in particular the Japanese conservative administration has recurrently educated and propagated the wrong ideology to rob Dokdo from Korea.

It has been almost one century since the Independence Movement (March 1) occurred. However, we are still facing the threat of foreign powers which threatens our people’s safety and the peace of Korean peninsula, which has been hindering our two Koreas from improvement of relations and ultimate reunification.

We Korean people have a crucial task to raise up the spirit of the national independence movement, which was national self-reliance, and to reject foreign interventions on issues which are our own business. We have to cooperate with each other so as to defend the peace and national safety of the Korean peninsula and to improve the relationship between South and North Korea.

Thus, in remembrance of the 95th anniversary of March 1, the National Council of Churches in Korea and the Central Committee of the Korean Christian Federation determine to reject aggressive foreign powers and to open up the way of peace and reunification by ourselves, and so we declare the followings:

1. The NCCK and the KCF will strongly urge Japan to give up their ambition for the restoration of militarism and war attempt including refusal to deal with the issues of the military sexual slavery by Japan, the government leaders visit to the Yasukuni shrine, attempts to rob Dokdo, revision of the Peace Constitution, and the strengthening of the Self-Defense Forces.

2. The NCCK and the KCF not only strongly oppose all kinds of war preparations but also will not allow anything that hinders the improvement and reunification of our people.

3. The NCCK and the KCF will make every effort to improve the relationship between South and North Korea and actively cooperate to bring about a new turn for independent reunification and peaceful prosperity this year.

March 1, 2014

The National Council of Churches in Korea    The Korean Christian Federation, Central Committee