Catholic Church in Korea Prays for Unity on 75th Anniversary “Peace on the Korean Peninsula begins with letting go of hostility and hatred”

“Peace on the Korean Peninsula begins with letting go of hostility and hatred”
22nd, Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul holds Mass for 'Day of Prayer for National Reconciliation and Unity'
On the 22nd at 12 o'clock, a mass for the ' Day of Prayer for National Reconciliation and Unity ' hosted by the National Reconciliation Committee of the Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul was held at Myeongdong Cathedral with over a thousand people in attendance . Since 1965 , the Korean Church has designated the Sunday closest to June 25th every year as the ' Day of Prayer for a Silent Church ' and has been praying for true peace between South and North Korea and national reconciliation and unity .
△ Mass for the ' Day of Prayer for National Reconciliation and Unity ' held at the Myeongdong Cathedral on the 22nd
Archbishop Jeong Soon-taek of the Archdiocese of Seoul, who celebrated the Mass that day, said in his homily, “ The South and the North have lived in division for over 80 years, fostering hatred and animosity amid constant tension and confrontation . In South Korea , indifference is growing, asking, ‘ Why should we worry about North Korea ? ’ But the South and the North are one people . ” He also urged, “ In order to overcome conflict and division, we must reach out first, as Jesus said, ‘ You give them something to eat . ’ ”
He continued, “ Recently, a small but meaningful change has begun in inter-Korean relations ,” and emphasized , “ When our government stopped broadcasting through loudspeakers toward the North, North Korea also stopped broadcasting through loudspeakers toward the South . It was a small but surprising change that lowered tensions that had seemed unstoppable for a long time in an instant and allowed us to seek new relations . ”
Finally, he urged, “ Peace on the Korean Peninsula and new relations between the South and the North begin with putting down hostility and hatred . Let us pray that we can become people who create small changes . ”
Following the mass, at 3 PM that day, the Seoul Archdiocese National Reconciliation Committee 30th Anniversary Commemorative Academic Conference was held at the Myeongdong Cathedral Spirituality Center . The Seoul Archdiocese National Reconciliation Committee (hereinafter referred to as the “Committee”), which celebrated its 30th anniversary this year , was established by the late Cardinal Kim Soo-hwan in 1995 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of liberation, and has been carrying out various pastoral activities based on the founding principles of “ prayer ,” “ education ,” and “ sharing . ”
In the first session, Father Cho Han-geon, director of the Institute for Korean Church History, presented on “ The historical significance of the 30 years of the Seoul Archdiocese’s Civil Reconciliation Commission . ” Following this , Professor Park Tae-gyun of Seoul National University presented on “ Changes in inter-Korean relations over the past 30 years , hopes and frustrations : the church’s concerns and tasks ,” and Byun Jin-hong, advisory member of Caritas International Korea , presented on “ The role and tasks of our church for national reconciliation and unity . ”

Father Jeong Su-yong, Vice Chairman of the Committee for Peace and Reconciliation, said , “ While inter-Korean relations have been going through ups and downs for the past 30 years , the Committee for Peace and Reconciliation has continuously worked for peace on the Korean Peninsula, finding the strength to overcome division and conflict in the Gospel . ” He continued , “ Amid the ongoing wars between Ukraine , Russia , and Iran , Israel, it is of global importance for the Republic of Korea, which has been in the Cold War for more than half a century, to lay the foundation for peace. ” He added , “Ahead of the 2027 Seoul World Youth Day, I hope that young people will take the lead in continuing specific discussions to put peace into practice . ”

Meanwhile, as part of its education and research projects, the Minhwawi runs the ' Wind of Peace - DMZ International Youth Peace Pilgrimage ' program . The participating youth walk through conflict-ridden border areas such as Ganghwa , Paju , Yeoncheon , and Cheorwon, reflecting on the meaning of peace and praying that the Korean Peninsula will become a gateway to world peace . The target group is youth aged 20 to 39 , and the participation fee is 100,000 won . 
Press Release from the Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul Korea: https://aos.catholic.or.kr/pro81/view?id=206151