Statement of the Ecumenical Forum for Peace, Reunification and
Development Co-operation on the Korean Peninsula
Evangelische Akademie Arnoldshain (Germany), February 8th, 2008
We, representatives from churches, ecumenical organisations and church agencies from Asia, Europe and North America including the WCC, CCA, KCF and NCCK met together in Arnoldshain (Germany) at the second meeting of the Ecumenical Forum for Peace , Reunification and Development Co-operation on the Korean Peninsula on February 7th to 8th, 2008. Reaffirming our commitment to the aims of the ecumenical Process for Peace and Reunification on the Korean Peninsula initiated by the WCC at the conference in Tozanso (Japan) in 1984, we expressed our resolve to intensify our ecumenical activities by agreeing on the attached Terms of Reference for further collaboration.
On October 4th, 2007 the “Declaration for Development of North-South relations and peace and Prosperity” was adopted at the historic inter-Korean summit meeting held in Pyongyang. The cause of Korean reunification thus entered a new phase of implementation of the June 15th, 2000 Joint Declaration. This gives renewed impetus to the Ecumenical Movement which has supported the Korean nation’s struggle for Reunification, Peace and Prosperity and the demand that the Armistice agreement be replaced by a Peace treaty between the DPRK and the USA.
The USA’s anti-DPRK policy, its war exercises, military bases and arms build-up as well as Japanese hostile moves against the DPRK hinder the efforts of the Korean nation to achieve peaceful reunification.
We appeal to Christians around the world to be in wholehearted solidarity with the efforts of the Korean nation towards achieving Reunification based on the principles of ensuring “co-existence, co-prosperity and common interests” and to be fully involved in development co-operation.
We appeal to Christians around the world to be mindful of the ever present threat of war on the Korean Peninsula and to join us in Prayer and to raise their voices against confrontational policies and measures detrimental to the well-being of the Korean people.
