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| Rev. Kim Accepts a Synod Chalice from Dr. Crabtree |
On behalf of the Kyungki Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of the Republic of Korea, I send greetings of peace to the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ in America.
Last October 4th, summit talks were held between the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. This was an historic and remarkable summit talk for peace and reconciliation in the Korean peninsula since the Korean War 6 decades ago.
Since the Korean War ceased, with over 5 million deaths, South and North Korea have treated each other as a major enemy, and North Korea was pronounced a terrorist country. During that period, North and South Korea wasted an astronomical amount of money to increase military power.
But when South and North Korea realized that both countries were joined in an organic partnership in the Korean peninsula, the first summit talk was successfully held in the year 2000. The consequence of the first summit talks was to slowly melt the hate and distrust which had grabbed Koreans' minds for the last 6 decades.
The "Declaration on the Advancement of South-North Relations, Peace and Prosperity," was signed at the second summit meeting on October 4th, 2007. This includes ending the Korean War, North Korea's denuclearization and establishment of a peace regime on the Korean peninsula.
It seemed impossible but when North and South Korea realized that we were two parts in only one body, we could hold hand in hand and meet face to face and talk heart to heart and speak out for peace.
We would like to give thanks with our sincere heart to the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ, for your resolution, "Peace and Reconciliation in the Korean Peninsula," and your prayers and efforts of many kinds.
Gaining peace and reconciliation is the only way to meet, to know and to understand each other.
Therefore, I believe that our partnership will serve as a messenger of peace in a world that has experienced increased tension between people to people, society to society and nation to nation.
We are now experiencing reconciliation and peace in the Korean peninsula. Because of this, I dream that one day, the President of the United States and leaders of countries called "Axis of Evil" will sit together and share the bread, not the bullet, and show their heart and not their hate.
I believe that the Partnership of the Connecticut Conference and the Kyungki Presbytery will be a partner for making this dream of peace come true.
May God's peace be with you all.
Rev. Moonhee Kim
Secretary of Kyungki Presbytery PROK
