Religious Elders Raise Their Voices, “70 Years Of Armistice, North Korean Nuclear Freeze And Normalization Of North Korea-U.S. Relations”

70 years of armistice declaration of peace

Lee Jun-gil (leejungil)

On Wednesday, the 26th, at 2:30 pm, religious elders gathered at the international conference hall on the 20th floor of the Korea Press Center and made an appeal, stating, “At this point, the most urgent task is to prevent the advancement of nuclear power through North Korea’s nuclear freeze.” They also issued the Religious Declaration of Peace.

▲ Declaration of Peace by Religious Leaders on the 70th Anniversary of the Armistice: A Call for Nuclear Freeze in North Korea and Normalization of North Korea-U.S. Relations ⓒ Jungil Lee

The religious elders emphasized that one of the causes of North Korea’s increase in nuclear power is the failure to normalize relations between North Korea and the United States. To prevent war and establish peace on the Korean Peninsula, they advocated for an urgent nuclear freeze in North Korea and the normalization of US-North Korea relations as the most viable solution. They further underscored the necessity of a more assertive approach to alleviate tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

▲ Religious Peace Declaration on the 70th Anniversary of the Armistice War. Greeting by Senior Pastor Park Jong-hwa of Kyungdong Church before reading the Peace Declaration. ⓒ Jungil Lee

Kim Myeong-hyeok (Senior Pastor of Gangbyeon Church), Park Jong-hwa (Senior Pastor of Kyungdong Church), Park Nam-soo (Former Chondogyo Preceptor), Park Gyeong-jo (Director of Anglican Church of Korea), Kim Dae-seon (Won-Buddhist Chaplain), Kim Hong-jin (Korean Catholic Priest), Venerable Pomnyun (Jeongto Order leader), The ‘Religious People’s Association for National Reconciliation and Peace,’ under the leadership of Mr. Lee, who took the role of a messenger, 33 religious leaders from various faiths and denominations, participated in the peace declaration.

At the press center press conference, representatives of each religious community were Choi Bu-ok, former president of the Christian Presbyterian Church, former Hwajaeng chairman of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, Venerable Dobeop, priest of the Korean Anglican Church, Choi Joon-gi, former head of the Academic Affairs, Na Do-guk, former head of the Korean Religious and Social Welfare Council of Won Buddhism, and Joo Seon-won, former head of the Board of Audit and Inspection of Cheondogyo. , and priest Kim Hong-jin, a Catholic priest in charge of the sacraments of the Seoul Archdiocese, a total of six people read the Peace Declaration.

▲ Peace Declaration by Religious Persons on the 70th Anniversary of the Armistice. 33 religious people, transcending religions and denominations, participated in the Peace Declaration on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Armistice Armistice. ⓒ Jungil Lee

Through the 70-year peace declaration following the armistice, religious elders made a unanimous statement, emphasizing that both South Korea and the United States, as well as North Korea and the United States, should recognize the urgent need for a swift freeze on North Korea’s nuclear program and the corresponding normalization of US-North Korea relations. They asserted that such measures are crucial in overcoming the crisis of war on the Korean Peninsula and establishing a lasting peace regime. The elders earnestly appealed to the North Korean government to consider these actions for the sake of peace and stability in the region.

▲ Religious Peace Declaration on the 70th Anniversary of the Armistice Venerable Pomnyun who attended the Peace Declaration on the 70th Anniversary of the Armistice ⓒ Lee Joon-gil

The background of the Proposal of the Peace Declaration of Religious Persons in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the armistice is the former secretary general of the Presbyterian Church of Korea (integrated) Cho Seong-ki, the former head of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, Ji-hong, the former head of the Korean Buddhist Jogye Order, Kwon Oh-seong, former secretary of KNCC, Choi Seong-deok, Wonbuddhist elder, and Yeom Sang-cheol, former member of the Cheondogyo sect. Five people, including the chairman, made presentations.