Korean bishops appeal for peace on Korean peninsula

While there has been no immediate response from the Korean Bishops after North Korea’s sixth nuclear test, their statement of 15 August dealt with the issue of denuclearisation of the peninsula.

The bishops appealed to the authorities of North and South Korea to open dialogue for peace and to cooperate with the surrounding countries of Korea in search of a stable system to guarantee peace on the Korean Peninsula. They denounced North Korea’s “recent provocations”, and rejected all movements which escalate tensions, saying that “ultimate and genuine peace on the Korean Peninsula can never be achieved by nuclear armament”.

They appealed to the authorities of the neighboring countries of the Korean Peninsula “to resolve this crisis in a mature and peaceful manner, so that they can contribute to achieving one of the most essential goals of diplomacy and politics: peaceful coexistence of humanity”. They felt “even a casual talk on the possibility of war which sacrifices innocent lives should be considered itself a verbal violence against humanity”.

The bishops called nuclear armament “an act of evil, fundamentally threatening peace in the world as well as on the Korean Peninsula”. They felt “the astronomical sums of money that North and South Korea have spent on the armaments should be cut down”. Christians and the whole world were encouraged to consider that, “denuclearisation and peace on the Korean Peninsula can be a turning point, making it possible for future generations to dream of the world based on justice, love, and respect for all creation”.

Fr Pat Cunningham, the JPIC Coordinator for the Columban Missionary Society, based in Seoul, said this week: “The latest nuclear test conducted on Sunday 3rd September comes a year to the day of its 5th nuclear test. Sadly, the test comes as no surprise since it was timed to come at the conclusion of the joint US-Republic of Korea military exercises which are seen by North Korea as a deadly provocation and preparations for invasion and regime change.

"The war drums and sabre rattling has escalated once again but it must not be forgotten that North Korea has offered a 'Freeze for a Freeze' in its offer to suspend nuclear tests in exchange for U.S cancellation of large-scale joint war drills with South Korea. Also, the US has placed multiple embargos on North Korea, the latest of which was passed just last Saturday and would affect a third of North Korea's overall trade. This is context to the recent nuclear test, which all of us should condemn in the strongest terms. We unite in prayer and solidarity with all people living on the Korean peninsula in the hope that diplomacy and dialogue will overcome the warmongering and eventually lead us on a path towards peace and reconciliation that will lead one day to a permanent peace treaty.”

Read the full statement of the Catholic Church in Korea on 15 August here:

Appeal of the Catholic Church in Korea for Peace on the Korean Peninsula
http://english.cbck.or.kr/news/18792