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Last Thursday Mr. Mark Lippert, the US ambassador to South Korea, was attacked by a man with a knife during a breakfast gathering organized by a NGO, “Minhwahyup” (Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation). At the gathering the ambassador was supposed to deliver a keynote speech on Korea’s reunification. Fortunately Mr. Lippert is in stable condition now after suffering wounds to his face and wrist. The attacker, Mr. Kim Ki-jong is a self-claimed activist for the reunification movement and has individual membership in several NGOs. The NGO society in South Korea regards this incident as an isolated case which has no systemic connection with them or with North Korea as Mr. Kim always acts by himself. But the Korean police agency alleges that the attack might have been conducted in close communication with some NGOs or under an order from North Korea. Of course, Mr. Kim denies all those allegations. Actually Mr. Kim has visited North Korea eight times and purchased several books published there.
The police present those activities as an evidence of those allegations. Furthermore, the police is investigating Minhwahyup’s member organizations. Minhwahyup was founded in 1998, with the strong support of the Kim Dae-jung government, to work for Korea’s reunification. Its membership is composed of both government sectors including the opposition party and civil society. The NCCK Reunification Committee and Hangichong (the association of the Christian Evangelical wing) are also members of the Minhwahyup.
This incident aggravates the already-deteriorated relation between North and South and between North and US. It is not surprising that immediately after the incident both Koreas began to exchangeprovocative rhetoric: the North praising Mr. Kim as a heroic fighter against US imperialism; the South condemningthe North as a rogue state which instigates violence. The police announced that it would cooperate with the FBI for a thorough investigation. Furthermore, the South Korean government seems ready to use this incident as a pretext for controlling the civil society in South Korea. Actually, last Friday we in the NCCK were informed by the police of a “total inspection.” It is predicted that the civil society will face the fierce storm of the National Security Law (NSL) and the Jongbook (followers of North Korea) trap. For a while the movement for reunification will go through a depressed period.
The incident is immediately affecting several joint projects of the NCCK with KCF. In this week the NCCK and KCF are supposed to meet in China to discuss the pending issues including “food support to North Korea” and “joint worship in Pyungyang.” But presently both governments seem to be reluctant to allow the meeting. Concerning the food (flour) support,if the South Korean government does not allow the direct shipment from Incheon, the NCCK plans to send the flour through China. In spite of all the difficulties the NCCK will work harder to break the current deadlock, and I would like to ask all partner churches to pray and act for peace-building in the Korean peninisula.
Rev. Kim Young-ju
General Secretary
NCCK
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