Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations and partners pray for peace
October 10, 2023
Traditional Korean folk music is performed during the service. (Photo by Paula Tinong)
The trauma and heartbreak of the Korean War continues to linger many decades after the signing of an agreement to end active military fighting on the Korean Peninsula.
Acknowledging the pain was a central part of a recent interfaith service at the Church Center for the United Nations in New York, commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement, which was signed on July 27, 1953, but did not end the separation of families on opposite sides of the border.
“The untold human cost, the tragedy of war, is still too real for many Korean families,” said Sue Rheem, Coordinator of the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations (PMUN) and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Representative to the U.N.
PMUN helped to lead the service, which included prayers and statements, personal stories, a candle-lighting ceremony and traditional Korean folk music as well as the reading of a statement from U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres.
“Today, we honour the memory of all those who perished, and we share in the grief of countless families who have been separated for so long,” the statement said in part. “… The United Nations is your steadfast partner as we strive to realize the vision of a Korean Peninsula in which all can enjoy peace, prosperity and human rights.”
The event was coordinated by the NGO Working Group on Korea, a group of ecumenical organizations with a desire for peace on the peninsula, which is divided into two nations, one to the north and the other to the south.
A Service of Remembrance and Rededication to the Work of Peace was held July 27 at the Church Center for the United Nations in New York. (Photo by Paula Tinong)
“God of love, God of peace, we painfully remember the tragic war that still hasn’t ended and keeps the two Koreas divided,” Ryan Smith of the World Council of Churches said as he began a prayer that attendees also joined in to recite. “With our siblings in the Republic of Korea, we pray for peace and an end to war on the Korean Peninsula. With our siblings in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, we pray for peace and an end to war on the Korean Peninsula. With our siblings around the globe, we pray for peace and an end to war on the Korean Peninsula.”
The Korean War was fought between North and South Korea from 1950–1953, with China and the former Soviet Union supporting the North. The United States and allies supported the South.
Although the armistice brought an end to active fighting, the peninsula “continues to be one of the most militarized and tense places in the world,” Rheem said.
In a similar vein, Guterres’ statement noted that with “rising geopolitical tensions, increased nuclear risk, and eroding respect for international norms, the threat of escalation is growing. We need a surge in diplomacy for peace. I urge the parties to resume regular diplomatic contacts and nurture an environment conducive to dialogue.”
Sue Rheem, Coordinator of the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations, speaks during the service. (Photo by Paula Tinong)
As a result of the Korean War, millions of Korean families have lost touch with relatives, many of whom have died.
Rheem spoke about her now 94-year-old father, the Rev. Dr. In Whan Rheem, who fled North Korea as the war broke out. While traveling on foot with his mother and older sister, his sibling was forced to stop because of swelling in her legs. She encouraged them to go on, saying she would catch up, but was never heard from again. Rheem’s father also lost touch with an older brother, who’d gone to be with his own family near the border with China.
Rheem’s mother, Sun Ok Rheem, now 88, also suffered tragic losses on her side of the family. After fleeing from her home in the middle of the night upon being awakened by exploding bombs, she lost sight of her mother and younger siblings and never saw them again.
“My parents bear witness to the tragedy of a people divided, of families separated,” she said. “And so, we invite you to join us as we remember those who lost their lives; to lament families still divided; to hope and pray for peace and reconciliation; and to rededicate ourselves to the work of peace.”
The Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations is one of the Compassion, Peace & Justice ministries of the Presbyterian Mission Agency.
Darla Carter, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Daily Readings
Today’s Focus: Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement
Let us join in prayer for:
PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Phillip Morgan, Associate for Music, Theology, Formation & Evangelism, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Bill and Ann Moore, Mission co-workers serving in Japan, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Let us pray
Creator God, we pray for the continued strength of your servants, enabling them to bear fruit and grow in your knowledge. Help our people, in the works of the prophet Isaiah, run and not be weary, walk and not faint. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.