The Korean Christian movement towards reunification of the two Koreas: a review in retrospect

Abstract

Debates on the reunification of the two Koreas have been approached from many angles, one of the least studied being the role of religious organizations. Two of the three largest religious groups in South Korea, the Catholic and Protestant churches, long remained silent on the issue, but have become more actively engaged, lending their support by providing humanitarian aid to North Koreans and voicing their views on inter-Korean relations. The questions are: How can we characterize the involvement of Christian organizations with the reunification issue? What are the factors that galvanized Korean Christians into becoming much more interested in reunification only since the 1980s? How have they affected the reunification debate and policy making? Have they made any meaningful contributions to the issue? This article analyses the characteristics of Christian involvement with the reunification issue. It argues that, since the early 1980s, Korean Christianity's involvement has made major contributions by forming an alliance and collaborating with the international Christian community in the reconciliation and reunification movement. Moreover, the church groups' relief effort for disaster-stricken North Korea has been their most important contribution to the reconciliation/reunification movement.