Suji (AsiaNews/Cbck) – Aid to North Korea based on Christian love will be a “cornerstone for the rebuilding of the Church in North Korea and the mission for North Korea. We have to begin to set a plan for a new direction and initiatives”.  This was the heart of Fr. Paul Han Jeong-gwan’s address as Secretary of the CBCK Committee for the Reconciliation of the Korean People, to the tenth national meeting recently held in Suji.

During the two day summit – on the theme Christian Life and the Aid to North Korea” – representatives from the catholic Charities working in North Korea as well as government representatives from Seoul addressed the issue.

Kim Jeong-su, Kim Jeong-su, Director of Humanitarian Assistance & Cooperation of the Ministry of Unification, said: “the cause of the humanitarian crisis in North Korea lies in the economic stagnation”. He forecast that there will be a serious problem with a drastic food shortage in North Korea next year because of the flood disaster in August this year, with the probability of renewed famine.  Regarding this Fr. Kim Hun-il observed “The aid to North Korea has both the obligatory aspect of living Christian love and the practical aspect of healing and settling the national conflict”. Fr. Damien Kim Young-nam,  Professor of Biblical Theology at the Catholic University of Korea agrees: “God initiates the reconciliation. The reconciliation of God in Jesus Christ is the basis for all other reconciliations. Christians must humbly take to their heart that the reconciliation is a gift which God accomplishes ... and the Catholic Church in Korea must recognize that the service for the reconciliation of the Korean people is one of the great signs of the times which this era asks the Church”.