June 25th marked the beginning of the Korea War as understood in South Korea. Please join the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (PC(USA)) and the Presbyterian Church of Korea (PCK) in a season of prayer for peace, justice, and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula from now until August 15th, the day Korea was liberated from the Japanese occupation of WWII.
Leaders from the PC(USA) and the PCK issued a statement on peace on the Korean Peninsula that calls members and friends of both churches to:
Pray for peace on the Korean Peninsula and to engage in a season of prayer and reflection from June 25 (the date the Korean War began in 1950) through August 15 (the date Korea was liberated from Japanese occupation in 1945).
- For the people of the PCK, this season of prayer will be a time to remember the suffering of separated families on the Korean Peninsula; and to acknowledge that, since the partition of the peninsula, the Christian commitment to reconciliation has been compromised by the trauma of a fratricidal war; discipleship compromised by bitterness; and faithfulness compromised by fear and hostility.
- For the people of the PC(USA), this season of prayer will be a time to reflect critically on how the division of the Korean Peninsula, the unended Korean War, and the separation of families have harmed the Korean people and on what the historical roles of the United States have been in relation to the Korean Peninsula; and to call the United States government to implement a policy of peaceful engagement in relation to Korea.
- For the people of both churches, this will be a time to deepen their commitment to work for healing, reconciliation, and peaceful reunification that will create a culture of peace in Korea and all of North East Asia.
Resources to guide prayers and to learn about partnership between Presbyterians in Korea and the United States include:
- Partnerships with South Korea
- Partnerships with North Korea
- Hyeyoung and Kurt’s Korean Adventure – the blog of the PC(USA) YAV site coordinators in Daejeon, Korea
The 2013 Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study focuses on South Korea on July 20 and July 22 and on North Korea on July 23.
May God guide the peoples and nations of the world to pursue peace with our brothers and sisters on the Korean peninsula.