Reflections on Rev. Kyung-Chik Han International Conference on Peace and
Reconciliation, Youngnak Presbyterian Church, Seoul, 31 October – 4 November, 2010
Professor Sebastian Chang-Hwan Kim
York St John University
Korea has been known as the ‘land of morning calm’, a name which was drawn from the old
name of the nation, ‘Chosun’. However, that is quite opposite experience to that of outsiders
who visit Youngnak Church on a Sunday morning, when hundreds of large and small
meetings are taking place all over the church facilities. It is quite fascinating to observe older
people rushing into the main sanctuary for one of the five services on a Sunday, young
people chatting and discussing in the smartly decorated café, and various women’s groups
selling farm products to raise funds for relief work.
As the participants were arriving in Seoul, we could be forgiven for thinking that we were
attending the G20 submit – we were greeted by the media team in the airport; as soon as we
arrived at the church, we were escorted by hundreds of volunteers, like security guards,
wearing yellow jackets; tens of cameramen, wearing black jackets, were clicking their
shutters from every angle and on every occasion. We can’t really nod during the plenary
sessions for fear of being caught on video camera, and seeing our image directly screened
on the large monitors in the room, and indeed on the screens around the building. We have
been enjoying staying in a modern and posh hotel, with a large swimming pool – although
we haven’t really had time to use it. We were greeted by a basket of fruits and snacks with a
welcoming card from Revd Lee, which was a really nice surprise. We were provided with
such an exceptionally well prepared food each meal time – and even snacks we had on the
way to the border were wrapped in beautiful traditional Korean bags. We really have felt that
we are VIPs. The hospitality shown by the members of Youngnak Church has been
exceptional even by Korean standards.
Having said that, some participants might also have wondered whether they were not
participating in a conference but joining a military camp. There was news of shooting
between the North and South Korean soldiers in the border; there was a wake-up call in the
early morning; we were rushed onto busses; we were issued with warm coats, somewhat
similar to the uniform given to new army recruits; we watched a film about the Korean War
during the first evening; and indeed we all went to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and the
Joint Security Area (JSA) in the border instead of touring the palaces or shopping areas in
Seoul! Well, this is not a military camp nor the G20 submit, but a conference of a unique and
fascinating nature.
As both a member of organising team and a participant, I would like spend some time
reflecting on the conference and also acknowledging those who worked so hard to make this
conference successful.
On the first day, in the midst of hundreds of church activities, participants were given the tour
of the church after a morning service and attended the opening services in the afternoon, but
perhaps, the highlight of the first day was the film, ‘Heroes Forever’. It challenged us to face
the reality of war and the cruelty of human beings towards one another. The heartbreaking
and vivid descriptions of the former North Korean soldier were a hurtful reminder of the
tragedy of war and hatred. And yet, the film showed a sign of reconciliation as the person
met an enemy veteran and held their hands together.
The following day, the participants were heading towards the border. The spectacular views
from Dora Observatory and the visit to the Joint Security Area or Pan mun jeom left a deep
impression of tension and fragility. I was told by the official who gave the briefing that, in
order to be stationed there, the Korean soldiers were carefully selected and have to get
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consent from their parents due to vulnerability of that area. I was struck by the strictness and
rigidness of the guards, which demonstrates the chilling reality of being in the front line of a
Cold War confrontation, which the Swiss general in the Korean film ‘Joint Security Area’
describes as ‘dry hay’ which could be set on fire with the slightest spark. Between Dora
Observatory and the JSA, we had the privilege of visiting Songak Prayer House for prayers
for peace in the Korean Peninsula. We were greeted by people who put red robes on us as
we climbed toward the house, and the small house was soon filled with earnest prayers for
the Korean Peninsula as well as for people around the world. The prayers were followed by
a song, which described yearning for liberation from poverty and oppression in the North and
called on God for help. They concluded with the gradual opening of the curtain, which
symbolises the hope and aspiration of people in this land.
The evening sessions were a combined service of worship, praise, prayers, sermons and
lectures, and the morning plenary sessions were more academic in nature with questions
and answers. The Korean speakers are some of the most prominent church leaders, who
gave refreshing talks on Rev. Han and on the topic of peace and reconciliation. The session
led by Revd Yonggi Cho, retired pastor of the largest church in the world, was particularly
fascinating as he shared his personal and recent experience of reconciliation. His emphasis
on reconciliation as requiring understanding of others and listening to another’s story was
shared by other speakers who also see these as vitally important steps in the process.
In terms of academic input, the main aim of this conference has been to discuss the issues
associated with building Christian communities for sustainable peace and reconciliation. The
sessions have been divided into three areas of interest: (a) In-depth reflections on the life
and teaching of Rev. Kyung-Chik Han; (b) Case studies on Christian responses to situations
of conflict; and (c) Christian theologies of peace and reconciliation.
The plenary speakers, focused on one of the above areas but without excluding the other
two. On the topic of the life and teaching of Revd Han, the comparison of Revd Han and
Cyprian of Carthage by Professor Torrance clearly presented the close similarity of the two
great men of God. He argued that reconciliation to Rev Han was never merely a theory or a
process – it was embedded in care for the orphans, the poor and the aged. Prof. Kyo Seong
Ahn this morning related the growth of Korean churches and the work of Revd Han. In
particular, he identified the legacy of Revd Han as Sunbi moksa – a respected religious
leader, and Tobaki moksa, a genuinely indigenous pastor, both characteristics made him a
well accepted leader among the churches and in the wider community.
Revd Han’s contributions have been identified as: 1) his balanced approach to the priorities
of evangelism, education and helping the poor and needy; 2) his simple and humble life style,
influenced by Puritanism; 3) his spirit of ecumenism; 4) his passion for peace and
reconciliation between two Koreas.
On the second area, Dr Ramachandra argued convincingly that ‘waging peace is more
demanding than waging war’ and that ‘peace is restoration of civility – the ability of strangers
to live together as neighbours in an ordered, lawful society’. For the sake of the pursuit of
reconciliation, among other aims, he explores the ‘politics of memory’. Different parties
distort their own story, oppress others and ‘thirst for revenge’, as often demonstrated in the
behaviour of individuals, communities and nations. Dr Setri Nyomi drew on the experience of
bringing two different organisations together into one body: the World Communion of
Reformed Churches, and also on the cases of South Africa and Liberia. He further examined
the solidarity of the wider Christian community toward the unification of the two Koreas and
suggested some dreams and hopes for actions related to peace, healing and reconciliation
in the Peninsula. Dr Esther Mombo brought her perspective as a Kenyan and an African and
also a member of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians. She challenges the
hierarchical and male dominated culture in Africa and elsewhere, and argues that
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reconciliation has to relate to the question of justice and should not be done in haste,
otherwise it becomes a quick fix for violence without addressing the root problems.
On the third area of exploring the theology of reconciliation, the idea of healing of memories
was very much the central topic of both Fr. Michael Lapsley and Professor Miroslav Volf.
The former gave very practical steps towards healing by discussing constructive and
destructive memories, knowledge and acknowledgement. He pointed out that reparation and
restitution are crucial components of forgiveness and reconciliation by providing examples of
his own life of being a victim of terrorism, and also of other cases in South Africa. Volf
argued that there is no reconciliation or forgiveness without proper remembering, which
serves to honour those who suffered and died, and to prevent anything similar happening
again. The question he raised was how to remember well in the contexts where truth-telling
is distorted.
There were nearly 60 panel presentations during the conference – and the presenters are all
prominent scholars in their own fields. The publication of these papers will greatly enhance
further discussion and exploration on the subject.
In terms of organisation, the unique feature of the conference has been the partnership
between academy and church. The mutual interaction has been very beneficial, as many
participants have said. Organising this conference has been a rewarding experience. Not
only do the two parties have different priorities and expectations as organisations, but also
the team members of the two organisations are from very different cultures, which made it
doubly challenging – but we have managed well and have been working as a team. We will
certainly miss this time together.
Appreciation: Youngnak Church - Revd Chul-Shin Lee, Elders and Deacons, Women’s
Groups, Men’s Groups, media team, volunteers, worship leaders, Dr Chung-Yoube Ha and
his team.
York St John University: Dr Pauline Kollontai, Revd Greg Hoyland, Mrs. Suzanne Parkes,
Ms Sian Henderson
Peace and reconciliation is a vital theological concept: God reconciles himself with us in
Christ, and likewise, we are called to become reconciled with one another. But how can this
theological understanding be applicable to peace and reconciliation between the two
Koreas? There is a sharp division among Korean Christians on the issue of reunification,
and this is clearly demonstrated in the recent survey on the socio-political opinions of Korean
Protestant Christians which was conducted by the Institute of Theological Research at
Hanshin University in Seoul. However, it is important to notice that, despite the differences,
they are in agreement in three areas: (a) the overwhelming majority of respondents desire
the reunification of the two Koreas (97.9%), (b) believe humanitarian support to North Korea
should continue (91.4%), and (c) see the mode of reunification as gradual and with mutual
consultation between the two nations rather than by means of the South absorbing the North
or through violent means (80.6%).1 This survey reflects the desire and aspirations of Korean
Christians for peace and reconciliation, the seeking of partnership and sharing of a common
identity as the same people, which are all important aspects of the Christian message.
Gerhard Sauter, reflecting on the German situation, insists that ‘common identity demands
mutual respect and a sharp sense of reality, especially if this identity has to be built upon
very different historical presuppositions’. He regretted that German reunification was largely
based on common German pre-War history and did not create a ‘common cultural memory’
1
The Institute of Theological Studies, Research on Socio-Political Consciousness of Korean
Protestant Christians (Seoul, 2004), pp. 40-52.
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of the most recent German history’.2 The ‘cultural common memory’ was also echoed by
Robert Schreiter who sees that building shared identities is an important part of the process
of reconciliation, and that healing memory and sharing narrative are essential to forming
shared identities.3
The hope of reconciliation has also been well expressed by the Taiwanese theologian C.S.
Song, who sees the reconciliation God has brought to this world through the image of the
womb. He draws powerful pictures using poems from various Asian contexts to show the
agony of the people, and yet he believes there is great hope for the future in the ‘seed
hidden within the mysterious womb of humanity’ as a ‘new life is in the making to succeed
the life that has just passed out of the community of the living’.4
In this conference, we have been privileged to receive a warm hospitality; to learn about the
life and teaching of Revd Kyung-Chick Han and the work of Youngnak Church; to experience
of being in the heart of the perhaps the last frontier of the Cold War; and to discuss theories
and practices for waging peace and reconciliation.
In closing, I would like to tell a true story. One of the most telling aspects of despair and
hope in the Korean situation is the experience of divided families and relatives, and the story
of Kim Haksoo, a prominent artist and an elder of a Methodist Church in Seoul, is not an
unusual one. He was married with four children and lived in Pyongyang just before the war
broke out. After the short occupation of Pyongyang by the UN, when the UN troops had to
withdraw from the city, he was advised to escape to the South with them, leaving the rest of
the family behind. This was because of fear of Communist retaliation and the fear that as a
Korean man he would be forced to join the Communist army, and also on the understanding
that the UN troops would soon return to recapture the city. Just before the time to leave, his
wife went out to borrow money for his journey to the South. Because he could not hold the
last vehicle any longer, he had to say good-bye to his children only, and left to come to
Seoul. When the War ended he could not go back and could not get any news about his
family. For nearly forty years he was living with the guilty feeling of not having said goodbye
to his wife and, though many who fled from the North remarried in the South, he remained
single. In 1989, he unexpectedly received news from his close friend, who had visited North
Korea, that his wife and family were still alive and that his wife had also remained single. He
had very mixed emotions – on the one hand, he rejoiced that they were still alive and well,
but he knew very well that they could not yet be united. Until his death last year, he
continued to hold han deep inside his heart but he was able to deal with it through his faith in
Christ and by his dedication to painting. Perhaps, as C.S. Song suggests, Elder Kim longed
that the han he held deep in his heart might be a seed in the womb for reconciliation, and
that he would one day be united with his family.
Koreans, like Elder Kim, from both sides of the border still sing a song, ‘… even in our
dreams, our desire is unification… Oh, come, unification…’ Is reconciliation possible in the
Korean peninsula? The answer has to be affirmative, yet the road to peace and
reconciliation is as fragile as walking on a half-frozen lake; we tread it with great care as we
hope to reach the shore together.
Let us stand and sing together (a Korean children’s song)
G. Sauter, ‘What does Common Identity cost – not only economically and politically, but also
spiritually and mentally? Some German experiences and provoking questions’ in S. Kim, P. Kollontai
and G. Hoyland (eds), Peace and Reconciliation: In Search of Shared Identity (Aldershot, Hampshire,
2008), 21-33.
3 R. Schreiter, ‘Establishing a Shared Identity: The Role of the Healing of Memories and of Narrative’
in S. Kim, P. Kollontai and G. Hoyland (eds), Peace and Reconciliation, 7-20.
4 C.S. Song, Third-Eye Theology: Theology in Formation in Asian Settings (London, 1980), 146-47.
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Our desire is unification
In our dreams, our desire is unification
With all our effort, unification
Oh, come, unification!
Unification which saves our people
Unification which saves this nation
Come, unification!
Oh, come, unification!
우리의 소원은 통일
꿈에도 소원은 통일
이 정성 다해서 통일
통일을 이루자
이 겨레 살리는 통일
이 나라 찾는데 통일
통일이여 어서오라
통일이여 오라
4th November 2010