ASIA/NORTH KOREA - Archbishop Kim after the trip to the North: "A trip centered on religious themes, a hope for peace"

Kwanju (Agenzia Fides) - The journey of seven religious leaders in North Korea leaves a door open to hope that religion may again flourish beyond the "Bamboo Curtain": this is the wish expressed at the end of the journey by His Excellency Mons Iginos Kim Hee-joong, Archbishop of Kwanju and President of the Episcopal Commission for Interreligious Dialogue, who led the delegation of religious leaders of the "Korean Conference of Religions for Peace," who went to Pyongyang, from September 21 to 24 ( see Fides 22/9/2011). Talking about religion and praying to God in North Korea - which is one of the last places in the rankings for the respect of religious freedom in the world - is certainly rare, the Archbishop told Fides, speaking of "the touching moment in which believers of religions prayed for peace on mount Baekdusan", the highest peak of the Korean peninsula.
"The nature of the trip - notes Mgr. Kim - was purely religious, with no political calculation: so I believe North Korea will respond accordingly", Mgr. Kim announces that "meetings of this kind will continue to be held on a regular basis", in order to "have the chance to understand and reconsider each other’s views". Moreover, according to the Archbishop, the meetings of religious leaders open a hope of peace, because "although it is not easy to restore peace between North and South Korea, the visit will contribute, at least partly, to the improvement of relations between North and South" .
The Archbishop told Fides: "Meeting helps both sides to understand each other. Talking to each other face to face is one of the best ways to resolve the mutual distrust and misunderstanding. I could realize that the desire of the North for a peaceful unification is as strong as the South".
This is why Mgr. Kim, after the visit, hopes that "believers and civilians, in the North and South, can meet each other more frequently and seek for a way to cooperate. This dynamic would be of great help to the South and North in developing peaceful relations. I hope, in particular, both governments can sit at a table and talk to each other".
With regards to the current conditions in North Korea, the Archbishop notes: "The humanitarian situation is still very difficult. Last summer heavy rains and floods caused widespread damage in many parts of the country and the civilian population is suffering serious consequences: There is need of food, medicines and disaster recovery equipments to handle the emergency. For this reason the Church and other religious communities intend to continue the work of humanitarian cooperation". (PA) (Agenzia Fides 27/09/2011)