- (성명) 고용노동부는 이주노조 설립신고 필증을 즉각 교부하라!!
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고용노동부는 이주노조 설립신고 필증을 즉각 교부하라!!
“모든 인간은 일, 자유로운 직업의 선택, 공정하고 유리한 노동조건, 실업에 대한 보호 등의 권리를 갖는다.”(세계인권선언 제23조 1항)
2012년 8월 <UN인종차별철폐위원회>는 이주노동자가 대한민국 내에서 차별과 착취에 시달리고 있음을 명확히 지적하였으며, 이주노동자 노동조합의 합법화 촉구와 함께 고용허가제 하에서 이주노동자들이 노동자로서의 권리를 전면 보장받아야 한다고 권고한 바 있다. 또한 금년 6월 30일 <UN인권이사회>에 제출된 ‘인종차별특별보고관’의 보고서 역시 이러한 문제점들을 더욱 분명히 지적하면서 근무처 변경 등 관련 조항을 즉각 개정할 것을 촉구하였다. 이러한 지적과 권고는 대한민국 정부가 보편적 인권보호의 정신을 외면하고 있음을 보여주고 있는 것이며, 동시에 국제사회에서 UN인권이사회에 선출된 대한민국이 이주민에 대한 인권침해로 인해 지탄의 대상이 되고 있음을 드러내는 것이다.
한편, 이주노동자들이 서울지방 고용노동청 앞에서 밤낮을 지새며 노숙농성을 시작한 지 어느덧 20일이 지나고 있다. 서울경기인천 이주노동자 노동조합이 대법원으로부터 합법 노조라는 인정을 받은 것이 지난 6월 25일이었지만, 이들은 노동조합 설립신고 필증을 교부받기는커녕 길바닥에서 노숙농성을 하며 정부를 규탄하고 있다.
대법원은 8년째 계류 중이었던 이주노조 설립신고반려취소 소송에 대하여 지난 6월 25일 전원합의체의 판결을 통해 결론을 내린 바 있다. 대법원은 “이주노동자의 체류자격과 관계없이 노동을 제공하고 있는 한 단결권 등 노동3권의 주체가 되고, 이주노조에 대한 고용노동부의 노조설립신고서 반려처분이 위법하다”며 이주노동자 노동조합의 정당성을 인정했다. 이로 인해 2005년 이주노조가 창립한 이후 10년 만에 합법노조 지위를 인정받게 되었고, 이주노동자들과 더불어 이주·인권단체들은 이를 역사적 판결로 보고 환영했다. 그러나 고용노동부는 이주노조의 설립목적이 정치운동이라고 호도하며, 국제사회에 망신을 자처하고 있는 것이다.
이러한 수치스러운 상황에 대해, 우리 <4대종단이주인권협의회>는 영주권과 투표권이 없는 이주노동자들이 한국에서 정치운동을 할 것이라는 고용노동부의 발상을 납득할 수 없다. 거꾸로 고용노동부가 법무부 출입국정책의 하수인 노릇을 하고 있는 것은 아닌지 묻고 싶다.
<4대종단이주인권협의회>는 개신교, 천주교, 원불교, 불교의 이주·인권 기구 협의체이며, 지금까지 이 땅에서 땀 흘리는 이주노동자들의 인간다운 삶과 이주민에 대한 차별 없는 정책의 실현을 위해 종교를 초월하여 협력하며 활동해 왔다. 우리는 노동조합의 활동에 대해 그 구체적인 사항은 조합원들이 스스로 토론하여 자주적인 의사결정 과정에 따라 정하는 것이며, 이 내용이 정당적 정치활동을 목적으로 하는 것이 아니고 노동자의 권익과 이익에 부합하는 것이라면 폭넓게 정당성이 인정되어야 함을 분명히 밝힌다. 대법원의 판결 역시 그 취지가 이주노동자들이 노동조합 설립을 통해 노동자로서의 권리를 충분히 인정받아야 한다는 것이 아니었던가. 때문에 고용노동부는 더 이상 정치활동을 운운하며 노동조합의 활동을 가로막지 말고 이주노조에 대한 노조설립신고 필증을 빠른 시일 내에 교부해야 할 것이다.
한편, 우리 <4대종단이주인권협의회>와 종교인들은 2003년부터 시작된 381일의 이주노동자 명동투쟁을 아픔으로 기억한다. 그리고 종교의 보편적 형제애와 자비심이라는 교리가 부끄럽게도, 우리는 이 사회에서 이주민들이 가장 소외되었음을 인정한다. 그 당시 4대 종단을 비롯한 종교인들의 연대와 참여가 좀 더 적극적이었다면, 오늘과 같은 사태는 벌어지지 않았을 것이기 때문이다.
따라서 <4대종단이주인권협의회>는 지난 역사를 반성하며, 또 다시 부끄러움의 역사가 일어나지 않도록 종교인 본연의 임무인 사랑과 자비의 실천에 충실할 것을 다짐한다. 또한 고용노동부의 조속한 조치가 뒤따르지 않을 시, 전국의 사찰과 교회, 성당과 교당을 순회하며 이주민에 대한 차별을 홍보하고, 각 종단의 대학생, 청년 단체 등과 연대하는 등 다양한 방법을 강구하여 이 땅에 종교의 진리와 인류의 양심이 다시 서게 할 것이다.
이에 의지를 모아 다음과 같이 우리의 요구를 밝히는 바이다.
- 정부는 대법원의 이주노조 합법화 판결을 전면 수용하라.
- 정부는 이주노조에 대한 설립신고 필증을 즉각 교부하라.
- 정부는 노동착취를 양산하는 고용허가제 직장 이동 제한 규정을 즉각 폐지하라.
- 정부는 <UN 이주노동자 권리협약>을 즉각 비준하라.
2015년 8월 18일
4대 종단 이주·인권협의회
- 한국기독교교회협의회 정의평화위원회 이주민소위원회
- 천주교 국내이주사목위원회 전국협의회
- 원불교 인권위원회
- 조계종 마하이주민지원단체협의회
2015-08-19 10:11:29
- (성명) 정부와 여당의 노동시장개혁에 대한 본회의 입장
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노동시장개혁? 정부와 기업의 솔선수범이 먼저다.
한국기독교교회협의회(NCCK, 총무 김영주 목사)는 최근 정부와 여당에 의하여 주도되고 있는 노동시장개혁에 대한 사회적 논의에 대하여 심각한 우려를 표명하며 4일 입장을 발표하였다.
NCCK는 "정부와 여당의 노동시장개혁에 대한 본회의 입장"에서 현재 정부와 여당이 추진하고 있는 노동시장개혁은 노동시장의 유연성을 확보함으로써 친기업적인 환경을 조성하기 위한 시도로서 노동자들을 항시적인 해고위협 속에 몰아넣는 올무로 악용될 소지가 크다며 “이는 ‘더 적은 임금, 더 쉬운 해고’를 가능케 하는 개악”임이 분명하다고 주장했다.
이어 “노동시장 개혁의 핵심은 경제적 양극화를 해소하고 소득 불균형을 완화하기 위한 경제구조 전반의 대개혁으로 진행되어야 하며, 이를 위해 노동자들에게만 고통분담을 강요할 것이 아니라 정부와 기업이 솔선수범하여야 한다.”며 “전근대적인 재벌구조개혁, 법인세 인상, 사내보유금 (30대 재벌 700조 이상)의 생산적 투자를 위한 법적, 제도적 장치가 우선적으로 마련되어야 한다. 아울러 최저임금을 포함한 불합리한 임금체계를 대폭 개선하고 대기업과 중소기업, 정규직과 비정규직의 격차를 해소하여 모든 국민들이 행복하게 살 수 있는 상생과 공생의 경제로 발전해 갈 수 있도록 힘을 모아야 한다.”고 밝혔다.
NCCK는 끝으로 “진정한 노동시장 개혁을 위해서는 밀어붙이기식의 ‘압박’이 아닌 ‘합의’를 통한 민주적 의사수렴과정이 필수적”이라며, “정부와 정치권, 노동계는 노사정위원회를 넘어 각계각층의 의견을 수렴할 수 있는 폭넓은 사회적 대타협기구를 구성하는 것도 신중히 고려”해 줄 것을 요청했다.
전문은 아래와 같다
8월 임시국회에 즈음하여
정부와 여당의 노동시장개혁에 대한 본회의 입장
“이 사람아, 야훼께서 무엇을 좋아하시는지, 무엇을 원하시는지 들어서 알지 않느냐? 정의를 실천하는 일, 기꺼이 은덕에 보답하는 일, 조심스레 하느님과 함께 살아가는 일, 그 일밖에 무엇이 더 있겠느냐? 그의 이름을 어려워하는 자에게 앞길이 열린다”(미가 6:8)
박근혜 대통령이 “노동시장개혁은 우리 경제의 지속적인 성장을 위한 필수 생존 전략”이라고 밝힌 이후, 정부와 여당은 노동시장개혁에 박차를 가하고 있다. 본회는 노동시장개혁이 필요하다는 사실에는 동감하지만, 정부와 여당이 추진하는 노동개혁안의 절차와 내용에 있어서는 심한 우려를 금할 수가 없다.
지난 7월 30일, 미국을 방문 중이던 김무성 대표는 컬럼비아 대학 연설에서 “새누리당은 현재 노동시장의 유연성 확보를 위한 개혁에 총력을 기울이고 있다”라고 밝힌 바 있다. 이는 현재 정부와 여당이 추진하고 있는 노동시장개혁이 노동시장의 유연성을 확보함으로써 친기업적인 환경을 조성하기 위한 시도임을 보여주고 있다. 실제로 지난 6월, 정부가 발표한 임금피크제 및 취업규칙개정을 골자로 하는 1차 노동시장개혁 추진방안을 보면, 고용을 말하고는 있지만 그 재원은 노동자들의 임금을 깎아서 마련하겠다는 것이며, 노동조합의 동의 없이도 근로조건을 바꿀 수 있는 편법을 공식화 하겠다는 의도가 깔려 있다. 또한 지난 2일, 정부출연기관인 한국노동연구원은 “공정한 인사평가에 기초한 합리적인 인사관리”라는 제목으로 사실상 더 쉬운 해고제도 즉, 일반해고 가이드라인을 발표함으로써 기존 현행법으로 가능했던 징계해고나 정리해고를 넘어서서 일반해고까지도 가능할 수 있는 길을 열어 놓았다. 업무부적격자에 대한 해고요건을 완화시키겠다는 것이지만 사실은 인사고과 평가기준과 운용이 전적으로 사측에 달려 있다는 점에서 이는 노동자들을 항시적인 해고위협 속에 몰아넣는 올무로 악용될 소지가 크다고 여겨진다.
본회는 이런 식으로 추진되는 노동시장 개혁은 “더 적은 임금, 더 쉬운 해고”를 가능케 하는 개악일 수밖에 없음을 분명히 밝히며, 청년 일자리 창출을 위해 경제민주화나 재벌, 법인세 문제 등은 미뤄놓아야 한다고 하는 정부와 여당의 주장에도 동의할 수 없다. 노동시장 개혁의 핵심은 경제적 양극화를 해소하고 소득 불균형을 완화하기 위한 경제구조 전반의 대개혁으로 진행되어야 하며, 이를 위해 노동자들에게만 고통분담을 강요할 것이 아니라 정부와 기업이 솔선수범하여야 한다. 전근대적인 재벌구조개혁, 법인세 인상, 사내보유금 (30대 재벌 700조 이상)의 생산적 투자를 위한 법적, 제도적 장치가 우선적으로 마련되어야 한다. 아울러 최저임금을 포함한 불합리한 임금체계를 대폭 개선하고 대기업과 중소기업, 정규직과 비정규직의 격차를 해소하여 모든 국민들이 행복하게 살 수 있는 상생과 공생의 경제로 발전해 갈 수 있도록 힘을 모아야 한다.
무엇보다도 진정한 노동시장 개혁을 위해서는 밀어붙이기식의 “압박”이 아닌 “합의”를 통한 민주적 의사수렴과정이 필수적이다. 이를 위하여 정부와 정치권, 노동계는 노사정위원회를 넘어 각계각층의 의견을 수렴할 수 있는 폭넓은 사회적 대타협기구를 구성하는 것도 신중히 고려하여야 한다.
본회는 노동의 가치가 존중받는 진정한 의미에서의 노동시장개혁이 이루어지기를 간절히 소망하며 금번 8월 임시국회가 이를 위한 새로운 도약의 계기가 되기를 바란다. 진정한 노동개혁을 위해 본회는 종단 및 시민사회 단체들과 연대해 나갈 것이다.
이 땅의 고난 받는 모든 이들과 그들과 함께 슬퍼하는 이들 위에 하나님의 위로가 함께 하길 바란다.
2015년 8월 4일
한국기독교교회협의회
총 무 김 영 주
2015-08-04 11:08:28
- Temporary Workers and the Korean church
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Temporary Workers and the Korean church
One of the key issues in the Korean society is “economic justice” as the gap between the rich and the poor keeps growing. The economic justice issue is directly related to temporary workers’ human rights because they face a great deal of social polarization and inequality in the society. South Korea has one of the highest rates of temporary employment among members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), at 35.5% of the total workforce compared with the OECD average of 25%. But labor NGOs say that the rate of temporary workers now reaches up to 50 per cent. Temporary workers are usually hired for less than a year and paid about 50 per cent less with no welfare benefits. Due to the short contract year, they have to always worry about job security. But the companies prefer to hire temporary workers, who are paid less and are easier to terminate than regular workers.
On July 14 the NCCK held a workshop to address the human rights of temporary workers and to articulate its theological reflection on the issue of temporary employment.
The first speaker, Dr. Yoo Kyung Dong said, “Human labor in the Bible is a responsibility as well as a blessing of God.” He also stressed that temporary employment in Korean society is a deteriorated form of labor which violates the labor rights given by God. In conclusion, he urged the Korean church to reflect on the labor rights with deeper theological insight and to work actively to protect those rights.
The second speaker, Rev. Choi Hyung Mook talked about labor, ownership, and management. He spelled out that labor rights is one of the basic rights of every human being which should not be restricted by the possessive rights. He emphasized that we cannot find in the Bible this present form of exclusive ownership: Lev. 25 says that the land is God’s and we are just foreigners and strangers. Furthermore, he added, “in the Bible the possessive rights are allowed with restriction, but even in this case the possessive rights must be exercised to protect the rights of the marginalized and to sustain the community,” and “the management rights must also be exercised for the good of community.” Therefore, he concluded, the church must monitor and challenge the excessive rights of capital over ownership and management.
The third speaker, Dr. Kim Yoo Sun analyzed the present situation of the labor market in Korea in comparison with the global labor market. He stressed that “the rate of the long-term (more than 10 years) employed ranks last among OECD at 18.1% as of 2011, and this shows the instability of the labor market.” He further argued that temporary employment is the key problem in the instability of the Korean labor market. He insisted that, “if the enormous amount of reserves (about $ 500 billion) kept by the 10 conglomerates were used to reform the labor market, most problems arising from temporary employment could be resolved.”
The NCCK will soon launch the “Korean Church’s Solidarity for Temporary Workers” to address economic justice issues in general but also the temporary employment issue in particular.
2015-08-06 12:35:12
- Post-earthquake Peace and Solidarity Visit to Nepal
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Post-earthquake Peace and Solidarity Visit to Nepal
The Christian Conference of Asia organized a two days consultation on 'Asian Ecumenical Response to the Nepal Earthquake,’ for the Asian Churches and Church related organizations in Bangkok from the 29th and 30th of June 2015. There were 14 participants from all the Asian regions.
Some Asian churches and councils including NCC-Inida, NCC-Korea and the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan had prepared a visitation to Nepal on July 2nd-4th immediately after the CCA Bangkok consultation. During the Bangkok consultation it was suggested that a report on the Nepal visit be shared widely among the CCA member churches so that the report can be a good reference to an official CCA visit to Nepal scheduled in early August. The purpose of the visit on July 2nd-4th was to understand the 'ground zero reality' on post-earthquake peace and solidarity with the people of Nepal and to express our prayers and to register the solidarity of the Asian Churches especially the CCA. The NCC Nepal hosted and facilitated this visit.
The team reached Kathmandu on the 2nd of July. After a preliminary discussion with Dr. R B Rokaya, General Secretary and with other officers and staff in NCC Nepal, the team left for Champee village in the Lalitpur District. Champee was one of the most affected areas in the regions. Over 90% of the houses in the Champee village had collapsed and several hundred people died including the collapse of the Zion Salvation Church when 75 people were gathered there. According to the villagers still several dead bodies are yet to be recovered from the debris.
The survivors narrated their first ever earthquake experience with tears and panic. The team especially noticed that the children could not even open their mouths while recollecting their memories when the stories were narrated. The people were found with the suffering of trauma and heavy stress in every affected area.
The team also visited areas such as Bhugamati near Kathmandu City, the Sera Thimi Village in the Bhaktapur District, the Sakhu Village where again 90% of the houses and other buildings had collapsed, and other areas within Kathmandu City such as Gongabu New Bus Stand, where the dense population of the city also fell victim to destruction. The team was also taken to the world famous heritage site of 'Dharbar Square' a religious site with temples and religious structures, where they saw that the 'Kathmandu Tower' had completely collapsed.
On the 3rd of July evening the NCC Nepal organized a 'Community Conversation' with 20 leaders from different faiths including, Islam, Hindu, Bahai, and other ideologies such as rationalists, intellectuals, academicians, and journalists for the team to converse with in order to understand the 'ground zero' realities. This group also shared some criticism toward the work of the State and other state-based international volunteer agencies. They also expressed that “some of the international agencies are arrogant and treat the survivors with condescension despite the fact that we (Nepalis) are not beggars.” So we look for a partnership based on better ethical grounds according to their interests.
2015-08-06 12:30:31
- Attending the German Church Kirchentag Celebration
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Attending the German Church Kirchentag Celebration
The National Council of Churches in Korea Special Committee on the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation sent 19 participants to Germany from May 28th to June 10th to participate in the German Church’s Kirchentag Day celebration. This was to explore the congruence between the movements of the Kichentag Day and Korean Church culture. Naturally, we began our activities with an interest to the various events of the church, but more so to the plans, operation, and spirituality of the Kirchentag Day events.
Before the Kirchentag Day began some of the members of our group first visited the headquarters of the Kirchentag Day twice so that we could meet the program organizing director, Dr. Kopez and listen to detailed information about finances for the Day. Although Dr. Kopez had a busy time ahead of beginning the Church’s Day, he still spent much time with us and gave us a very detailed introduction on the management and organization of the Church’s Day.
Also, during the event, we twice met the Kirchentag Day General Secretary, Dr. Ellen Ueberschoer, and we were able to ask questions about the Church’s Day and have a lot of time to discuss responses. Dr. Ellen Ueberschoer had many other important jobs to do; nevertheless, she gave our team much attention and helped us in many ways.
Our team visited the Church’s Day headquarters and observed the results of various events, and we held a panel discussion to share our observations. We concluded that the reality of the Korean Church actually makes the possibility hosting an event like the Kirchentag Day quite difficult. We noted that the three biggest problems hindering such a movement are sectarianism, excessive congregationalism, and individual-pastor centric communities. These characteristics are so strong that having a Day for the one Church and similar united movements by the laity are almost impossible. However, we also concluded that, paradoxically, with a Day for the Church and Laity that builds a movement of cultural consensus, the Korean Church would have one way to wean itself of sectarianism, congregationalism, and pastor centrism. Therefore our panel discussion decided that an attempt at a Korean model of a movement for cultural consensus among the laity could be very meaningful.
2015-08-06 12:47:51
- Peace Treaty Campaign
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Peace Treaty Campaign
The Reconciliation and Unification Committee of the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) spent the month of July working on completing a campaign for a peace treaty on the Korean peninsula. This concluded a year-long push collecting signatures from around the world for which they collected about 13,000 signatures calling for immediate negotiations to work on a peace treaty. Both YMCA and YWCA joined the NCCK in these efforts and cooperated on several events throughout the month of July.
From July 23rd through the 25th young adults gathered in Cheorwon around the DMZ for a Young Adult’s Peace Camp including lectures and workshops on peacemaking on the Korean peninsula. The event was led by YMCA Korea and supported by the NCCK. It ended with a celebration of KOREA Peace Day on Saturday July 25th, with worship at First Methodist Church of Cheorwon and a prayer service outside the remains of the old Korean People’s Republic Department of Labor Cheorwon building. The prayer service was meant to be held atop Soisan hill, however rain forced a change in plans.
On July 21st the Reconciliation and Reunification Committee of the NCCK also organized a seminar to commemorate the 70th anniversary of independence as well as the division of the Korean peninsula. Under the theme, “Overcoming Division: Building Peace in the Korean Peninsula”, about 90 participants gathered to evaluate the peace and reunification mission work of the Korean church and to reaffirm the common vision for reconciliation, peace, and reunification. Most of the speakers stressed that, “at present the most significant task of the Korean church in her discourse on the mission of peace and reunification is to reduce the gap between ecumenical bodies such as the NCCK and local churches”, and “in order to reduce the gap the NCCK must provide different programs and projects which the local church members can internalize in every level of their life in the family, society and church.”
The campaign for a peace treaty culminated in a press conference outside Korea’s Blue House on Monday July 27th with participation from the NCCK, the YMCA Korea, and the Y WCA Korea. July 27th also marks the 62nd anniversary of the Korean armistice agreement, therefore, the aforementioned three organizations chose this day to hand deliver the campaign signatures to the Blue House calling for a peace treaty to replace the armistice agreement. The NCCK will also send the petition to the offices of the president of China and of the USA.
In addition, the NCCK will hold a worship service at 3pm on Sunday August 9th in anticipation of the August 15th anniversary of Liberation and Division. The service will be held at Seomun Presbyterian Church in Eungamdong of Seoul. They will use the joint prayer written by North and South for peace and reconciliation. If you cannot attend, you are invited to join us in prayer that Sunday along with our Christian sisters and brothers in North Korea praying for peace and reconciliation on the Korean peninsula.
2015-08-06 10:26:42
- General Secretary Message-Please Pray for a Peace Treaty
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Please Pray for a Peace Treaty
In the name of Jesus the Christ, our hope for peace, I pray this message finds you and your community well. At the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) we have entered one of the busiest times of the year. In these months we remember many of the anniversaries related to liberation, division, and war on the Korean peninsula. We also are in the midst of the rainy season in Korea, known as Changma. At the end of July, I stood outside our Korean president’s Blue House in the rain along with colleagues from the Korean YMCA, YWCA, and others from within our NCCK to call on President Park to immediately push for negotiations toward a peace treaty on the Korean peninsula.
This, right now, is probably the most important issue for the people on the Korean peninsula today. Many of the problems in our society (excessive poverty, suppression of democracy, sacrificing human rights) can be tied to this hostility and war posture. We must have a peace treaty. It is true that this will not immediately solve all of our problems, but it would be an enormous step toward real solutions. First, we must declare an official end to the war. Second, we must sign a peace agreement between North and South that should be supported by the US and China. Even though we are not in an “active” war, we are still in a “technical state of war” since we only have an armistice agreement. One consequence of this is that, militarily speaking, we are not yet an independent nation. The U.S. Military still holds effective operational control over our armed forces during a state of war. This inhibits much of what we could be doing to address the health and wellbeing of the people of our nation.
That is why we have joined so many Korean Christians in building this campaign of signatures calling for a peace treaty which we delivered to the Blue House on July 27th, the anniversary of the armistice. Also, we know this kind of treaty must be adopted by an international assembly. We especially look to China and the US to move for peace treaty negotiations as they both signed the armistice agreement in 1953, the third party being North Korea (the US signed on behalf of the United Nations). So we call on all of you, our fellow Christians around the world but especially in the United States and China, to urge your governments to proceed to negotiations for a peace treaty. Our country spent 36 years in misery under colonial occupation by Japan, then just after liberation 70 years of division began along with 3 years of outright war killing each other. We desperately need to move toward healing. Our continued pain includes suffering under a National Intelligence Service (NIS) that continues to use conflict as a cover under which they spy on opposition political parties. We recently heard details of this as a member of the NIS released documented evidence upon committing suicide.
In addition, the government of Japan is preparing to revise its constitution in order to restore its ability to rebuild its military and send it around the world, threatening to reignite the flames of the last world war while escalating an arms race between China and the US. Please, respectable Christians around the world, pray for peace and pray for our countries to abandon military solutions to our differences and conflicts. Please use the common prayer that we created along with Christians in North Korea. May God’s justice rain down upon our world filling it with Shalom.
2015-08-06 09:27:03
- Esther’s Internship Story in NCCK
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Esther’s Internship Story in NCCK
Greetings from the NCCK in Seoul, South Korea! I used this greeting in many of my emails while working in NCCK for a year and an half. Yes, I was an intern for the NCCK Department of Reconciliation and Unification, sent by the Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church as a young adult missionary since March, 2014 up to this July in 2015.
I’ve been thinking for a long time that I would like to deal with the issue of reunification on the Korean peninsula anyway. I hoped to address this issue either through work or study, and to do so as a Korean Christian who seeks to work for peace and justice issue under an ecumenical roof. So that is why for me, it was a great joy and privilege to serve with this historical and significant ecumenical body in Korea specially dealing with one of the most important issues in Northeast Asia and the World. So I was full of confidence and pride throughout my work.
2015 U.S. Young Peoples’ Delegation to South Korea listening to explanation about division history of Korean peninsula and history about Korean ecumenical movement focused on NCCK
2015 U.S. Young Peoples’ Delegation to South Korea
Since NCCK is an ecumenical movement organization for God’s peace and justice for God’s world, then we are dealing with various immediate social issues regarding marginalized peoples. This means NCCK provided the perfect environment in which to learn and experience various social issues. Also since NCCK is a council of churches we are issuing and releasing many theological statements and declarations about sensitive issues around the world. So we have issued very important, meaningful, and powerful documents up to this point, and they have influenced me in many ways. The following is most of what I contributed to the NCCK office during my term. I translated and distributed important documents to the world, of which I feel very proud myself. So this was my daily job which included working on documents and administrative tasks.
Significantly since last September I’ve been worked on organizing a 3-week long “Peace March” project for 300 overseas Korean tailored for 2nd generation immigrant youth and young adults to remind our Korean diaspora of the 70th anniversary both liberation and division of the Korean peninsula. Even though there were some changes to the original plan I’ve been working on this project along with many others through this summer. However, unfortunately, recently it was canceled due to the ‘MERS’ virus issue in Korea. One of the more significant jobs that I have done was coordinating the 2015 U.S. Young Peoples’ Delegation to South Korea project. It was a collaborative project of the Peace with Justice Programs of the Mississippi Annual Conference and South Carolina Annual Conference & the United Nations and International Affairs Ministry of the General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church. It was a great privilege to complete this job.
Even though I was very sick and had many personal difficulties last year after returning from my international placement site in Africa I really enjoyed working with NCCK. What I have learned and gained from here is human resource networking related to ecumenical bodies in Korea and the world, as well as experience about facing the peace and justice issues around us under the ecumenical roof. Also my knowledge and thought about peace, justice, and ecumenism have been deepened and widened during my work here. And significantly I could see that ecumenicalism, holiness, and the inner spirit can exist together; and I realized this is the true meaning of the ecumenical movement. Last but not least I would like to send my deepest appreciation to NCCK and UMC who allowed me to have this precious opportunity. God is here with us.
with UMC young adult missionaries
2015-08-06 01:03:01
- LETTER WRITING FOR PEACE
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The Reconciliation and Unification Committee has recently written some important letters to call the attention of leaders to the work of peace in Korea. Open border
On Jan.29 a letter was sent to Korean President Park Geun-hye, calling for the lifting of the May 24 sanctions against North Korea which prevent humanitarian aid from being sent from South Korea to ease starvation and distress among brothers and sisters in the North in this cold time of the year.
The NCCK annually makes a collection between Christmas and the Lunar New Year to make a shipment of much-needed flour to Korea Christian Fellowship projects in the north. The sanctions of the government have meant that for the last several years the aid has had to go through China with the support of our partner there, the amity foundation. This year, however governments of both North and South have been suggesting they will renew overtures with each other, giving hope the border will open to aid, as well as to separated family visitations.
So we call on President Park to carry out her promised initiatives.
Cuba initiative
On Feb 3 another letter left our Dept, this time addressed to the White House, Washington, DC. It was asking President Obama to turn from dealing with North Korea by a policy of isolation and instead, as the American government has decided to do with Cuba, turn to a policy of engagement and communication. North Korea has recently offered to hold talks with the United States and it is the sincere hope of the NCCK that the American government will respond in an open manner to ease tensions in Northeast Asia.
Invitation to Partners to join letter campaign:
The NCCK has invited its partners throughout the world to join in these initiatives, by contacting President Park or President Obama, or the Korean or American ambassador in your country with this information, and making your feelings known about peace and reconciliation in the Korean peninsula .
Attached letters:
2015-02-14 12:27:34
