Joint N-S Worship service commemorating Korean independence from Japan

28 February 2011 — Ran

The following is a press release sent to CanKor by the Ecumenical Forum of Korea.

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The NCCK Unification committee held a joint South and North Christian worship service commemorating the 92nd anniversary of March 1st Independence Movement at the Christian Building at 4 pm on February 27th, 2011.

The idea of this joint worship service came out from the Korean Christian Federation in North Korea which suggested of joint worship service and joint statement, and the NCCK Unification Committee had agreed to this suggestion.

The worship service started with Rev. Rah Haek Jip as the presider that confessed our sin and asked the mercy of God because despite what we should live as one with deep introspection when we look back our history, we have lived of division and conflict based on the difference of ideology and thought.

Rev. Kim Gi-Taeck, Chairperson of the Unification Committee of the NCCK, in his sermon, said that “through today worship service hoping and praying in one faith in Christ for protecting us from invasion of foreign forces, and joyful oneness of our nation, let us break down the wall between the two Koreas and open a new era of exchange and cooperation with being united in Christ,

Rev. Lee Young Hoon, the president of the NCCK, delivered his message through video message, Rev. Cha

Sun-Gak, Chair of its board member of YMCA and Rev. Kim Young-Ju, the NCCK General Secretary, delivered their greetings. Rev. Kim said “he hopes that we are deeply moved by this worship service experiencing of oneness of North and South Korea, and let us go ahead for praying and cooperating for reconciliation and well-living. After reading the Joint Statement between churches in the North and the South by Dr. Lee Sam Ryul, the worship service was ended by our commitment which we are going to live our life as not shameful to God, to our neighbor and to our society, remembering of the mission commissioned by God.

The Joint Statement between churches in the North and the South is as follows:

On the occasion of the 92 anniversary of the March 1st Independence Movement from Japan, we as concerned Christians declare our stance as follows:

1. We strongly denounce any attempts to invade our nation from any super power countries and any intension to open a way making possible to invade. Especially we angry at and are deeply concerned about the entry into Pusan port by Japanese Aegis fleet and the expression of consideration of possible dispatch of the Japanese Self-Defence Forces by the Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan.

2. We strongly urge the Japanese government to repent its past sin, to keep its peace constitution 9, to promptly stop worship the Jasukuni Shrine and to teach next generation with right historical textbook. And we declare that the Japanese insistence to Dokdo island is not affordable.

3. We urge the Japanese government to justly compensate to the so called “the drafted comfort women” and the forced military draftees by Japan and not to discriminate Korean-Japanese and their descendants and treat them without discrimination same as Japanese people.

February 27th, 2011

Rev. Kim Young Ju
General Secretary, Ecumenical Forum of Korea

Rev. Kang Young Sup
Chair, Korean Christian Federation (KCF)