By ACNS staff
Korean Anglicans are visiting the Holy Land this month to learn about the plight of Palestinians and to discover what the Israel-Palestine conflict can teach them about the situation in Korea.
A delegation from the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) has travelled there to see first hand the situation facing Palestinians and Palestinian Christians.
The Revd Stephen Yoo is an Anglican priest and member of the NCCK who has helped organised what the Council calls an 'Alternative Pilgrimage'.
"Most of the pilgrimages to Jerusalem tend to visit Israeli sites and there is little chance to meet with Palestinians or visit Palestinian sites," he said.
"We need to see the reality of life for Palestinians, so as a member of the Alternative Pilgrimage committee I shared with them what we had done in Japan," he told ACNS.
Learning from Japan
Mr Yoo, is currently sub Dean of Seoul Anglican Cathedral, Sts Mary and Nicholas, but three years ago he used to work in the Diocese of Tokyo which also facilitates such Alternative Pilgrimages and which has an ongoing link with the Diocese of Jerusalem.
He himself was not able to make the trip to the Holy Land with his Japanese colleagues because the trip he was due to go on clashed with his return to Korea. Instead Mr Yoo proposed a similar partnership model to his colleagues in the NCCK resulting in this month's visit.
He admitted that the Israel-Palestine issue can a be controversial one, but said that learning more about the situtation there first-hand will give Koreans a chance to reflect on their own circumstances.
Seeing the similarities
Although looking to the Holy Land for secrets to peace and reconciliation might appear counterintuitive, it does make sense when one considers that the North/South tensions have continued for many years.
Mr Yoo said the South Korean capital city Seoul is only an hour away from the border with North Korea. Therefore any threat of conflict looms large. However, he stressed that, as for people in the Holy Lands, Koreans have lived with the tension for many years. So they have been less concerned than the rest of the world about this latest round of sabre-rattling by North Korea.
Helping escapees
The Anglican Church in Korea has also been playing its part in reconciling North Korea and South Korea. Towards Peace in Korea (TOPIK) is the Church's initiative to show the people of the North they are remembered and loved by South Koreans and by God.
Mr Yoo said TOPIK work includes bringing food, medicines and other provisions to people in North Korea as well as welcoming people - particularly women - who have escaped to South Korea.
"These women have escaped one of several ways," he said,"some by land via China, Myanmar, Hong Kong, eventually arriving in South Korea. Some come by sea. They grab on to the inner tube of a bicycle and are brought by the sea to South Korea."
The small percentage who survive such perilous journeys are welcomed by the Anglican Church in Korea and are helped to find a community in their new home.
"We call our project TOPIK," said Mr Yoo, "but we really hope that the reconciliation of North and South Korea will indeed become a key topic for the rest of the Anglican Communion."
He asked that Anglicans around the world will give their support and their prayers to this ongoing situation in Asia.