News
The World Council of Churches (WCC) invites its member churches to join in prayer for peace and reunification of the Korean peninsula on Sunday, 9 August.
Each year, Christians are invited to join in a prayer for peace and reunification of the Korean Peninsula. Prepared by the National Council of Churches in Korea and the Korean Christian Federation, the prayer is traditionally used on the Sunday before 15 August every year. In 2015, this date falls on Sunday 9 August.
The 15th of August, celebrated as Liberation Day in both North and South Korea, marks the date in 1945 when Korea won independence from Japanese colonial oppression, yet ironically it also was the day when the peninsula was divided into two countries.
“The division of the Korean peninsula into separate populations North and South is one of the great political and spiritual challenges of our time,” said Peter Prove, director of the WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs. “The annual time of prayer, led jointly by Christians on both sides of the border, is a significant act of solidarity for all the people of North and South Korea.”
The WCC joins in prayer as part of the “pilgrimage of justice and peace” – a key concept from the WCC 10th Assembly in Busan, Republic of Korea. The assembly adopted an official statement on peace and reunification of the Korean peninsula, pledging to accompany the people of North and South Korea in their “struggle for justice, peace and life”.
Churches are encouraged to translate this prayer into their national languages and share it with their congregations.
Korean Common Prayer for Peace and Unification 2015
Read also: Blog post by Korean theologian and WCC governing body member Rev. Dr Hyunju Bae
