‘Empathy over systems’: Korean peace forum urges unity amid challenges

By LiCAS News

Held at Coste Hall in Myeongdong Cathedral and organized by the Korea Reconciliation Committee of the Archdiocese of Seoul, this year’s Korean Peninsula Peace-Sharing Forum emphasized empathy as a foundation for peace and featured fresh research and youth-led discussions.

Archbishop Peter Soon-taick Chung, Archbishop of Seoul, Apostolic Administrator of Pyongyang, and chairman of the Korea Reconciliation Committee, opened the forum by acknowledging the daunting challenges ahead but urging hope and determination. 

“The journey to peace now seems long and arduous, but we must not give up hope,” he said. “I look forward to creating hope through discussing the role of the Church and the various ways of solidarity for peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the world.”

Archbishop Giovanni Gaspari, Apostolic Nuncio to Korea, echoed these sentiments, quoting Pope Francis’ encyclical Fratelli tutti. 

He emphasized the Church’s role in fostering unity, saying, “Fraternity is the alternative to war, it is the other possible horizon. It is a path to be taken together and which all men and women on earth, believers and non-believers, are called to take for a world at peace.”

The forum’s first session drew lessons from international contexts. Dr. Heinz-Gerhard Justenhoven, a German theologian, highlighted the role of faith in German reunification, noting how prayers for peace were central to the process. 

He warned of the dangers of political forces reigniting historical grievances, adding, “Christians must constantly remind the society of this and initiate new reconciliation actions.”

Dr. Marco Francioni, representing the Community of Sant’Egidio, shared his organization’s experience in building humanitarian bridges with North Korea since 2011. 

“Our faith itself spurs us to open doors, to build bridges, not always easy to cross, to make hope grow,” he said, stressing the need for dialogue despite political divisions.

The second session featured findings from the Institute for Peace-Sharing. Researcher Yiseul Seraphina Choi urged a deeper commitment to addressing the struggles of North Korea’s most vulnerable citizens. 

“We need to show more sustained interest in the lives of ordinary citizens... and periodically release the Church’s voice to improve this,” she said.

A survey of 5,700 Korean priests revealed strong support for unification (82%), far outpacing the general public’s backing (43%), and that of Catholic believers (49%). 

However, low participation in the survey—just 8%—underscored challenges in capturing a representative perspective.

The forum’s final session, a “Youth Peace Talk Concert,” brought young North Korean defectors and South Koreans into conversation through Ttiattmeori, a mentor-mentee program fostering connections between the two groups. 

One defector shared the importance of these relationships in helping them adjust to life in South Korea. “Experiencing faith together and becoming one spiritually has been a great help in settling down in South Korean society.” 

As 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation and division, next year’s forum will expand its scope, focusing on global peace initiatives and youth engagement, particularly ahead of World Youth Day Seoul 2027, according to the Archdiocese of Seoul.

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