In June 2014, 54 participants representing 34 churches and related institutions from 15 countries met in Switzerland to consult on justice, peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula. The Ecumenical Forum on Peace, Reunification and Development Cooperation on the Korean Peninsula (also known as the Ecumenical Forum for Korea) serves as a cooperative endeavor of churches, national councils of churches, mission organizations and church-related development agencies in cooperation with the World Council of Churches, Christian Conference of Asia and other ecumenical bodies (http://ecuforumkorea.org/).
Delegates of the World Council of Churches (WCC), representing 345 churches and some 560 million Christians around the world, chose a simple prayer as the theme for the WCC’s 10th Assembly: “God of life, lead us to justice and peace.”
On the 100th anniversary of the Annexation of Korea, the 60th anniversary of the Korean War and the 10th anniversary of the June 15 Declaration of the Inter-Korean Summit, the National Council of Churches in Korea summarized progress made and issued mission goals, a vision, principles and steps, and 10 grand tasks for the peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula, as well as an action plan.
A prayer for peace and reunification prepared by the National Council of Churches in Korea and the Korean Christian Federation on the occasion of the 100th year of Japanese annexation of Korea, 65th year of the Liberation and the Division, and 60th year of the Korean War.
On the 25th anniversary of the first ecumenical gathering to take steps toward the peaceful reunification of the divided Korean peninsula, convened in Tozanso, Japan, in 1984, the “Tsuen Wan Communiqué” outlined the recommitment to peace, reconciliation and reunification of the Korean Peninsula by nearly 140 church leaders worldwide, including North and South Koreans.
This declaration reaffirms the spirit of the June 15 Joint Declaration and stipulates that South and North have agreed to resolve the issue of unification on their own initiative and according to the spirit of “by-the-Korean-people-themselves.” Leaders of both South and North recognize the need to build a permanent peace regime.
Adopted in June 2000 through diplomatic talks held June 13 to 15, 2000, between leaders of North and South Korea. In this declaration, North and South agreed to settle humanitarian issues, including exchange of visiting groups of separated families and relatives, and the issue of unconverted long-term prisoners.
This is a declaration regarding nuclear weapons and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Although not a peace treaty, this agreement renouncing armed forces against one another, signed by leaders of North and South Korea 38 years after the fighting ceased, has been described as a first step toward inevitable reunification of the Korean peninsula. It reaffirms the three principles of unification set forth in the July 4, 1972, South-North Joint Communiqué. The document includes 25 articles in four chapters: South-North Reconciliation, South-North Nonaggression, South North Exchanges and Cooperation and Amendments and Effectuation.
This document outlines the mission tradition of the Korean churches for justice and peace, the reality of people in the divided Korea, a confession of the sins of division and hatred, and basic principles of the churches of Korea for national reunification. Based on these principles, the National Council of Churches of Korea urges the responsible authorities in the governments of both north and south to engage in healing dialogue to overcome the division and to wok continuously to develop a solidarity movement for peace and reunification.