Peace Statement Against War and Nuclear Weapons
- Expressing our deep concern about the war against Iraq
and the crisis on the Korean peninsula -


As Christians we confess that it is our mission to plant and nourish the peace which is promised by God. We believe that building peace is our imperative task. We believe that the evil intent of war and violence based on secular vested interests is contrary to the will of God. We urge an end to the war on Iraq, which runs contrary to the will of God and destroys the peace of the world. The insecurity arising out of the nuclear crisis which can lead to war, is not the will of God. In faith, we express our determination to build peace in Korea and the world.


1. We urge that North Korea clearly state its intent to immediately stop its nuclear weapons development program, and to participate in peace settlement in Korea and Northeast Asia.

We oppose the production, development, possession, deployment and use of nuclear weapons which can lead to mass destruction. We call for the implementation of the Basic Agreement on a nuclear-free Korea which was signed in December 1991 by the governments of both Koreas. We know that the non-nuclear states are deeply frustrated because they are not allowed to develop nuclear weapons, whereas the states already possessing nuclear weapons are highly arrogant. We believe that the question of whether we can maintain peace and security with or without nuclear weapons is not simple. Any attempt to possess nuclear weapons will endanger security and can result in enormous tragedy and destruction.

North Korea must clearly declare its willingness to give up its nuclear weapons development program for the sake of the life and very existence of its people and for the guarantee of its regime. We urge North Korea to return to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, fulfill its agreement to a nuclear-free Korea, and return to the international inspection system. And we hope that both Koreas will work together to build a nuclear-free peace.


2. We call on the United States to make concrete responses to North Korea in guaranteeing the regime and the life of its people, in return for North Korea's renunciation of its nuclear weapons programs.

We cannot support any policies leading to armed conflict and, potentially, war in Korea. We cannot accept the US administration's branding of North Korea as part of an "axis of evil" or an "outlaw nation". We cannot agree with the US policy of preemptive nuclear strikes, because such a policy can lead to war on the Korean peninsula.

On the other hand, we support the US position to solve the Korean nuclear crisis by diplomatic efforts and dialogue. In accordance with North Korea's cancellation of its nuclear programs, the US must resume its supply of oil which was promised under the Geneva Agreed Framework and which was suspended in the wake of the North Korean nuclear crisis. We urge the US to immediately enter into bilateral dialogue with North Korea to negotiate with North Korea about the issues of the very existence of its people, guarantee of its regime, and a non-aggression pact.


3. We urge the South Korean government to make every effort to eliminate the threat of war and pave the way for a peace settlement by combining our commitment to solidarity between North and South and our commitment to the US-South Korea alliance.

We denounce war under any circumstances in Korea. We do not want to repeat the agony and suffering of the Korean War. We call on the South Korean government to do its best to dismantle the Cold War structures by extensively enhancing the ongoing South-North peaceful coexistence. Peace between North and South Korea is not possible without peace with surrounding nations. We therefore urge the South Korean government to work on a framework of multilateral dialogue and cooperation including the US, which has armed forces stationed in South Korea, surrounding nations, and the European Union. This multilateral framework may contribute to the construction of peace and security not only on the Korean peninsula but in all of Northeast Asia.

We call on the South Korean government to contribute to a trilateral structure of North-South cooperation, US-North Korea dialogue, and a multilateral framework to ensure a sustainable and permanent peace in the region.


4. We ask sister churches around the world and the churches in the North and South to work together to plant peace in the world and on the Korean peninsula.

We appeal to all peace-loving people in the world to join together in preventing war and building peace, and to work for justice and the welfare of all people. We firmly believe that we can achieve a new vision of church unity by participating in peace without war and without nuclear weapons, beyond the barriers of theological doctrines and historical and cultural differences.


March 31, 2003

Christian Solidarity for Peace