. .DISARMAMENT & SECURITY. .
An article from La Croix International
A South Korean cardinal believes that permanent peace is within sight on the Korean Peninsula.
Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung made the statement in a keynote speech at the 2019 Korean Peninsula Peace-sharing Forum hosted by the National Reconciliation Committee of Seoul Archdiocese and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism at the Catholic University of Korea on May 18.
Participants in the 2019 Korean Peninsula Peace-sharing Forum
Cardinal Yeom, the archbishop of Seoul, said that “this year’s forum will serve as a cornerstone for permanent and genuine peace on the Korean Peninsula” and emphasized that “no matter how small, we should practice love that sows the seeds of peace and friendship.”
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Can Korea be reunified in peace?
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Guzman Carriquiry, vice-president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, gave a lecture titled “A culture of encounter, pacification and reconciliation” in which he detailed the reconstruction of Europe following the devastation and destruction of the Second World War.
He said the culture of peace depends on “overcoming deep-rooted enmities and smoothing over tensions between the winners and the losers.”
Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo testified that amid the political and social vortex of transitional chaos, the Catholic Church could build true friendships and cooperative relations within the Church as well as with civil society and members of neighboring countries.
Father Jeon Young-joon, dean of the College of Theology at the Catholic University of Korea, emphasized the importance of welcoming “people on the move” such as refugees and foreign students, who need special care.
Professor Kim Hak-sung of Chungnam National University told the forum that the Korean Peninsula’s long-standing internal conflicts had made immediate reconciliation difficult. He proposed that a lower level of reconciliation should occur first with an emphasis on expanding the national union for peace and reconciliation.
The forum is holding a Mass for national reconciliation and unity on May 21.