World Council Churches working for Korean reconciliation

While Catholic bishops in Korea welcome news of a meeting between the U.S. and North Korean leaders, the WCC General Secretary, Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit is in the region to support moves towards peace and reconciliation

By Philippa Hitchen

The Catholic bishops of Korean have welcomed news of the upcoming meeting between the presidents of North Korea and the United States.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday it would take several weeks to set up a face-to-face encounter between President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

President of the Korean Bishops Conference, Archbishop Kim Hee-joong, urged the two leaders to engage in an authentic dialogue without preconditions, avoiding any use of threats or sanctions.

Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the World Council of Churches, Rev. Olav Fkyse Tveit has been to the Korean peninsula this week for a meeting of the National Council of Churches.

He told Philippa Hitchen that the WCC has been working for reconciliation and peace in the region for over three decades

Listen to the interview with Rev Olav Fykse Tveit