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, 10 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 2014, this date falls on Sunday 10 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 was the day when the peninsula was divided into two countries.
“The unity of the Christian churches represented in the fellowship of the WCC praying with the Korean churches will, I believe, be a strong sign of solidarity and spiritual accompaniment for the people and particularly the Christians of North and South Korea,” said Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, the WCC general secretary.
Tveit added that this prayer carries forward the spirit of a “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”.
In the WCC’s invitation, churches are encouraged to translate this prayer into their national languages and share it with their congregations.
2014 Joint Prayer for Peace and Reunification on the Korean Peninsula
WCC general secretary’s call to prayer on10 August
Statement on Peace and Reunification of the Korean Peninsula
