Christians in Asia are praying for the success of talks involving the leaders of North and South Korea. The talks are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. April 26 in Panmunjom, a village in the demilitarized zone.
Two talks are planned between Kim Jong Un of North Korea and Moon Jae-in of South Korea.
The two leaders will hold two rounds of talks and will for lunch, during which the leaders will consult privately with their delegations. Before the afternoon round of talks, the leaders will plant a pine tree using soil and water from both sides, as a symbol of peace and prosperity.
The talks follow a dramatic easing of tensions on the peninsula since officials from both sides met at the margins of the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang in January. It will be the third such summit between leaders of the two Koreas since the Korean War. Previous talks occurred in 2000 and 2007.
“It is our fervent prayer and hope that the North and South Korean leaders will work out a suitable solution based on equality, mutual respect, mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence,” said Mathews George Chunakara, general secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia.
“CCA and its member constituencies in Asia are encouraged that the two Koreas are forging a path towards peace. The CCA unswervingly reiterates its support to the call by the National Council of Churches in Korea and member churches to replace the 1953 Armistice Agreement with a Peace Treaty.”
Adapted from ACNS
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Matthew Townsend is a Halifax-based freelance journalist and volunteer advocate for survivors of sexual misconduct in Anglican settings. He served as editor of the Anglican Journal from 2019 to 2021 and communications missioner for the Anglican Diocese of Quebec from 2019 to 2022. He and his wife recently entered catechism class in the Orthodox Church in America.
