Re-imagining Peace and Reconciliation between South and North Korea in the Missiological Perspective

Abstract

This study intends to find reconciliation, justice, and peace between South and North Korea in the missiological perspective. This year(2020) marks the 70th anniversary of the Korean War and the 20th anniversary of the June 15 Inter-Korean Joint Declaration. However, a complete end to the War is not yet achieved. Otherwise, North Korea has blown up a joint liaison office that is symbolized as a communicational place between North and South Korea. In this crisis on the Korean Peninsula, we need to find a moral imagination to achieve peace and reconciliation. There are two opposite (the Conservative and the Progressive) opinions about peace and reconciliation at the Korean Church. Although the Conservative and the Progressive Korean Protestant Church have different approaches to build relationships with North Korea, they must respond to a cooperative way for reunification. For this reason, I attempt to rethink about peace and reconciliation in the Korean Peninsula by understanding sociological, theological, and missological perspectives. First, there are three different sociological methods for North Koran studies: 1) A Totalitarian Approach, 2) An Immanent Approach, and 3) a Micro Approach. Especially, “An Immanent Approach” was developed by focusing on the emic approach (‘study how North Koreans think’). Contextual theology is similar to an immanent approach because it considers the significance of a particular culture. However, contextual theology has emphasis on Christian faith in the Christian worldview. Second, in order to find peace and reconciliation in Korean Peninsula, I discuss the theological and missiological concepts that are the Jubilee, forgiveness, embrace, the alternative community, Kingdom of God, and Kyum-Hu (humility). Without forgiveness, embrace, and humility, it is impossible to make authentic reunification in Korea.