Book of Resolutions: Korea: Peace, Justice, and Reunification

For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us (Ephesians 2:14 NRSV).

Our Faith Commitment to Peace and Reconciliation

At the 10th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches held in Busan, South Korea, in late 2013, the delegates declared in a statement that has served as a faith statement of our commitment to peace and reconciliation, lamenting failure to adequately acknowledge the Korean people’s long suffering and vowing to join in firm commitment with the Christians of Korea, both North and South, faithful actions to work towards peace, healing, reconciliation and reunification of their people and their land” (WCC Statement on Peace and Reunification of the Korean Peninsula).

The Methodist roundtable held in Atlanta on 11 November 2018, provided an update to the context where we acted out our advocacy for peace, justice and reconciliation in the Korean Peninsula. The statement, says, in part, “During this year of the 65th anniversary of the Korean War armistice, great progress has been made in opening a new dialogue for peace between North Korea and South Korea, as well as between North Korea and the United States of America. An explosive escalation of tensions between North Korea and the United States last year caused a dangerous crisis, threatening to precipitate another war on the Korean peninsula that would have had catastrophic impacts on the North-East Asian region and the whole world … In this emergency situation, we realized anew that the Cold War system of division on the Korean Peninsula is a serious threat to peace and life globally.”

The Atlanta Statement included declarations, which in part said:

“We confess that we, the followers of Christ, the Prince of Peace, have failed to seek Christ’s peace for the divided and suffering people of the two Koreas. We have often demonized our enemies whom Christ calls us to forgive and love. We have been more skeptical than hope-filled toward peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula. We have often embodied the spirit of hostility rather than the spirit of hospitality. We repent and seek God’s transformative forgiveness that turns our failures into opportunities for grace and reconciliation …

“We believe that the grace of the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ, traversing the boundaries of ideologies and religions, leads all the unrighteous and ungodly from the wrath of God to the restorative justice of God (Romans 1:18; 3:20–21) … Notwithstanding this year’s progress toward peace on the Korean Peninsula, we are still standing on the crossroads between choosing the God of life or choosing the nuclear idol of death.”

The fourth roundtable, convened on August 28–29, 2023, aimed at bolstering the Methodist church’s involvement in the peace-building efforts within the region. Notably, as 2023 commemorated the 70th anniversary of the Korean Armistice agreement, the gathering reiterated the significance of dialogue, diplomatic engagement, and peaceful processes. It further endorsed the global Korea Peace Appeal, a campaign led by churches in South Korea and the U.S., advocating for lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The Tragedy of Division and the Urgency of Peace

Christians in Korea have spoken about the urgency of the reunification of their nation. The Atlanta consultation characterized the tragedy of division and the urgency of peace in this manner:

“For the last 70 years, North Korea and South Korea have been separated by a hostile wall of division and have not overcome the tragedy of antagonistic symbiosis. One seems unable to exist without the other’s animosity. North Korea has been cited as an imminent threat to justify an authoritarian grip on power, while North Korea cited potential U.S. aggression as a pretext for keeping its people on a war footing and for building nuclear arsenals. Yet, God who reigns in history is capable of ending the captivity of the Korean nation. As the people of God press their hands together to pray for the Kingdom of God and its righteousness on the Korean Peninsula, God will start to ‘disarm the rulers and authorities’ (Colossians 2:15) …

“We pledge to work for peace, indeed the peace of Christ, which makes ‘both groups into one’ (Ephesians 2:14). The time to enact this pledge is upon us. The system of division on the Korean Peninsula is now shaking. The stakes are high, and the moment is urgent. At the same time, the geopolitical world orders emerging during the last century, especially as then promulgated by the U.S., are taking new directions and shapes in some regions. Motivated by new ambitions, these changes are arguably affecting and even threatening peace. These changes may affect progress in Northeast Asia, including in Korea.”

For the nation of Korea, justice, peace, and reconciliation are tragically overdue. In 1945, just before the end of World War II, the United States proposed and the Soviet Union agreed to the division of Korea, which resulted in the Korean War with more than 3 million lives lost and millions of families separated. The tragedy of the Korean people continued because the Korean War did not end with a peace agreement. Instead, the Armistice agreement was signed in 1953 leaving the Korean Peninsula under a state of war and tension for more than sixty years. This resulted in the separation of families, many of whom never saw each other again.

The enmity between the superpowers has been played out in the Korean tragedy of war and death, dictatorship and militarization, separation of one people into two hostile camps and divided families with no contact at all. All members of the body of Christ have a responsibility to support the Korean people in their attempts to build democracy, reduce tension, create trust on the Korean Peninsula, heal the divisions, and reunite their country. The threat to peace remains critical with the world’s fifth and sixth largest armies facing each other across the Demilitarized Zone.

A Renewed Momentum for Diplomacy and the Korean Peoples’ Resolve for Peace

During the 2018–2019 period, the governments of South Korea and North Korea were in direct contact with each other in ways never seen before. Through inter-Korea talks, they sought ways to achieve peace and reconcile. That the diplomatic contact was at the highest levels, between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un was indicative of their determination to end the division of the peninsula, declare an end to the de facto Korean War, enter into a peace agreement, and forge an agreement of a denuclearized peninsula and region. The direct engagement of President Donald Trump of the United States with Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un initially in the Singapore Summit, proved as well the importance of diplomatic engagement and person-to-person dialogue in addressing difficult peace and security concerns between and among countries. Every such summit helps both or all sides to learn more of each other that is crucial in decision making. The engagement of other countries of consequence to the peace process in the Korean Peninsula, especially China, Russia, and Japan, must be encouraged.

The momentum for peace has not only been pushed by governmental and diplomatic initiatives. The role of women in peace-building is gaining solid recognition. The successful crossing by women led by Women Cross DMZ of the two-mile wide Demilitarized Zone on 24 May 2015, International Women’s Day for Peace and Disarmament, demonstrated how seemingly impregnable divisions can be overcome. Since that historic and symbolic crossing, Women Cross DMZ has continued to mobilize women globally for peace in Korea. (See https://www.womencrossdmz.org/).

North-South Reconciliation Efforts

In many ways, the Korean people, north and south, have expressed their strong desire for reunification. Since 1984, there have been official contacts and conversations on economic and humanitarian issues between the Republic of Korea (ROK, also known as South Korea) and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK, also known as North Korea). Emergency assistance by the DPRK and ROK following devastating floods in the south and floods and drought in the north was offered and accepted by each other.

For example, the first government-sponsored exchange of visits between divided family members occurred in 1985. Thousands of overseas Koreans were able to visit their family members in the DPRK. Christians from north and south met in 1986 in Glion, Switzerland, as part of an ecumenical process on peace and the reunification of Korea led by the World Council of Churches. In 1987, both sides offered proposals to lower military tensions on the peninsula. Furthermore, in June 2000, an unprecedented historic summit between North and South Korean leaders took place in Pyongyang, DPRK. ROK President Kim Dae Jung and DPRK Chairman Kim Jong Il pledged themselves to work toward Korean reunification. Since the summit, both Koreas have had numerous exchanges such as reunions of separated families, ministerial-level talks, and other economic, social, cultural, and sports exchanges including reconnection of railways and roads through the Demilitarized Zone.

The relationship between the United States and the DPRK, however, has deteriorated due to the issues related to the DPRK’s withdrawal from the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, its violation of the 1994 Agreed Framework ( whose objective “was the freezing and replacement of North Korea’s indigenous nuclear power plant program … and the step-by-step normalization of relations between the U.S. and the DPRK”), and threats by the United States of pre-emptive strikes on North Korea.

Historic Role of the Ecumenical Community for Peace in the Korean Peninsula

In 1986, as a result of consultations in Korea, North and South, with Christians and government representatives, the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCCCUSA) adopted an important policy statement on “Peace and the Reunification of Korea.” United Methodist representatives participated fully in the development of this statement, in consultations on peace and reunification, and in an official ecumenical delegation to North and South Korea in the summer of 1987.

“Since the 10th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) held in Busan in 2013, the WCC and the international ecumenical movement have renewed their 30-year commitment to the search for peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula. This has been done in accord with the WCC’s 1984 Tozanso Consultation. The WCC and the international ecumenical movement have intensified their commitment to accompanying the peace efforts of the Korean Christian Federation (KCF) in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the National Council of Churches in the Republic of Korea (NCCK). They have continued their advocacy for an end to the Korean War through the replacement of the armistice agreement with a peace treaty.

An important instrument for this ecumenical engagement has been and continues to be the Ecumenical Forum for Peace, Reunification, and Development Cooperation on the Korean Peninsula (EFK). The EFK was formed in 2006 with wide participation from international church bodies, including the WCC, the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), and The United Methodist Church (UMC). The EFK has the dual purposes of strengthening ecumenical participation in the efforts for peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula and North-East Asia, and of promoting effective ecumenical development cooperation in North Korea. (Cf. Atlanta Statement, 2018)

In an international ecumenical consultation held in May of 2013, United Methodist groups, including the Peace Committee of the Korean Association of the United Methodist Church and the National Council of Churches in Korea, issued the “Call for Peace and Reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula,” stating in part: “For too long, the Korean people have been divided and suffered from political brinkmanship, the wall of ideology, and the scourge of militarism. The Armistice Agreement of 1953 only temporarily halted the war that claimed 4 million lives and divided 10 million families. This lingering state of war on the Korean Peninsula is a major contributor to tension and instability, both regionally and globally, and contravenes the spirit of United Nations Resolution 39/11 that recognizes a people’s right to peace.

“We Christians of different communions, gathered together in the common cause of peace, are deeply concerned about the growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula over recent nuclear testing in North Korea and U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises. We join with the Korean people, both in North and South Korea, in yearning for reconciliation, reunification and sustainable peace. Replacing the Armistice Agreement with a Peace Treaty is and should be the first step in establishing a lasting and sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula.”

Current Plan and Actions Taken by Agencies and Caucuses of The UMC

Following the 2013 ecumenical consultation in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, a working group “United Methodist Korea Peace Table” of General Board of Church and Society, General Board of Global Ministries, United Methodist Women, and the Peace Committee of the Korean Association of the United Methodist Church has been formed. This group collaborated to develop a four year Korea Peace Plan and to engage United Methodists in efforts for peace in the Korean Peninsula. The following are some of the highlights of such a collaboration since 2013:

• The first ever Korea Peace Advocacy Vigil and March in July 2014 in Washington, DC
• Visit to the D.P.R.K and meeting with the Korean Christian Federation in August 2015;
• Korea Peace Campaign and Korea Peace Night at 2016 General Conference;
• The second Korea Peace Advocacy Vigil and March in July 2018;
• Participation in Korea Peace Advocacy Week from 2019–2024;
• Sponsorship and participation in the Korea Peace March in July 2023 in Washington, DC. 

Recommendations for Action

In support of the Korean people and in cooperation with partner Christian groups, it is recommended that The United Methodist Church, its members, local churches, annual conferences, and agencies engage in prayer of penitence and petition with the Korean people and with Christians in the North and South, scarred and pained by the division of their nation and yearning for reunion, and establish working, collaborative and supportive relationships with the Korean Methodist Church, the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK), and the Korean Christian Federation in the DPRK (KCF) to seek peace and reconciliation.

It is recommended that The United Methodist Church, its members, local churches, annual conferences, and agencies also work for the below policy shifts through intercession, education, public advocacy, and support of programs furthering justice, peace, and reconciliation.

1. Work with our respective governments to ensure the U.N. Security Council and countries pursue new efforts for peacebuilding across the Korean Peninsula and lift the existing economic and financial sanctions imposed on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Sanctions limit the engagement of DPRK in the regional and global economy. Removing sanctions will also facilitate foreign investment in improving the DPRK production infrastructure. Because of economic and legal obstacles, development of foreign investment will be a difficult and long-term process, even without sanctions. Removing sanctions is a high priority with DPRK leaders. Sanctions are impeding the ability of the country and of international aid organizations to meet the urgent and longstanding humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable parts of the population.
2. Call upon the U.S. government to lift the unilateral travel ban on American passport holders traveling to North Korea;
3. Continue the global campaign for the United States and North Korea to sign a peace agreement to replace the Armistice Agreement of 1953. This would officially end the Korean War, eliminate the threat of war, establish an enduring peace, and minimize tension on the Korean Peninsula.
4. Call upon all foreign powers in the region to participate in a de-escalating process to build peace on the Korean Peninsula by halting all military exercises on the Korean Peninsula, ceasing their interventions, reducing military expenditures, stopping military build-up, and reversing the solidification of Cold War alliances;
5. Call upon all countries to ensure the process of denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and more broadly in Northeast Asia and simultaneously join the emerging international consensus for a humanitarian ban on nuclear weapons in all regions of the world, so that life is no longer threatened by nuclear dangers anywhere on earth;
6. Urge the governments of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea, and the United States to restore human community with justice and human dignity by overcoming injustice and confrontation, and to heal the community by urgently addressing the humanitarian issue of separated families, by establishing a sustainable process allowing confirmation of the whereabouts of family members and free exchanges of letters and visits, and by offering the support of international agencies where necessary;
7. Work with the governments of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea in providing international cooperation to transform the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) into a zone of peace.
8. Urge all governments that have relations with the ROK, the DPRK, and the U.S. to exercise their influence to further mediation, interchange, peace, and reunification. Furthermore, diplomatic and human contacts between ROK, DPRK, and U.S. contacts should be enhanced.
9. Call on the governments of South Korea and North Korea to work toward the ideals of reunification, reconciliation, and peace.
10. Encourage continued humanitarian engagement and cooperation with the DPRK, and at the same time calling on the North Korean government to work with the United Nations to abide by all internationally agreed principles of human rights and humanitarian law, principles that must guide all parties addressing the resolution of the crisis in the Korean Peninsula.
11. Increase communication, dialogue and exchange of delegations, with church and ecumenical representatives, with ROK, DPRK, and the US. Political, economic, social, and religious delegations are a high priority with DPRK leaders.
12. Urge the international community to address the plight of North Korean defectors. The division system has led to countless family separations, leaving many individuals stranded in dire circumstances. While initially fleeing due to food shortages, North Korean defectors now have varied motivations, including seeking a better life and engaging in illicit activities within North Korea’s black market. While the number of defections initially surged during the late 1990s food crisis, the reasons have since diversified, and defections persist. This inhumane situation must not be allowed to persist, necessitating cooperation between governments and the international community to alleviate this humanitarian crisis.

When these approaches can be taken, and most of them depend on U.S. government policy decisions, there are still no guarantees that the crisis can be resolved. But it is quite clear that a U.S. policy of isolation, sanctions and military buildup directed against DPRK will stimulate North Korea to rely more on its military, even at the expense of the lives of its population, and may lead to another catastrophic war on the Korean Peninsula. Continued engagement, steadfast negotiation, and careful cultivation of cooperative relationships with appropriate DPRK organizations provide the only real opportunity for a positive resolution of the Korean stalemate.

We call all Methodist and Ecumenical partners to embark on prayerful advocacy, working for the formal end of the Korean War, urging the international community to expedite negotiations for such a peace agreement, and pursuing other steps outlined above, through advocacy efforts such as emails, calls, petitions, and other efforts.

Furthermore, the United Methodist Korea Peace Table has been established as a formal task force with representatives from General Board of Global Ministries, General Board of Church and Society, United Methodist Women, and the Peace Committee of the Korean Association of the United Methodist Church. This task force will provide necessary resources and support for the U.M. Korea Peace Table toward the implementation of this resolution.

ADOPTED 1988
AMENDED AND READOPTED 2000, 2004
READOPTED 2008
AMENDED AND READOPTED 2016, 2024

RESOLUTION #6135, 2012, 2016 BOOK OF RESOLUTIONS
RESOLUTION #6100, 2008 BOOK OF RESOLUTIONS
RESOLUTION #328, 2004 BOOK OF RESOLUTIONS
RESOLUTION #309, 2000 BOOK OF RESOLUTIONS

See Social Principles, ¶ 163, Government Responsibilities, A.

From The Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church, 2020/2024. Copyright © 2024, The United Methodist Publishing House. Used by permission.