S-N Religious Leaders Vow to Promote Peace
Navy NewsStand
2003-03-03
Religious leaders from South and North Korea vowed over the weekend to make combined efforts to promote peace and stability on the peninsula on the firm basis of independence and sovereignty.
They made the pledge in a four-point declaration calling for the promotion of the Korean people's independent spirit. They adopted the declaration during a ceremony at the Sheraton Walkerhill Hotel in eastern Seoul Saturday to mark the 84th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement against Japanese colonial rule.
The religious leaders also pledged that they would engage in anti-war campaigns and efforts to increase inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation to strengthen the foundation for the alliance of the Korean people.
The 105-member North Korean delegation, led by Jang Jae-on, head of the (North) Korean Religious Council (KRC), arrived here Saturday to attend the ceremony. They also attended various religious events held on Sunday (March 2).
Upon their arrival at Incheon International Airport, the Northern delegates said the joint celebration of the Independence Movement ceremonies would help increase inter-Korean reconciliation and facilitate eventual reunification.
Some 700 South Koreans, including 400 religious figures, attended the event co-organized by the (South) Korean Council of Religion and Peace (KCRP), a coalition of seven religious orders including Protestants, Catholics and Buddhists, on Saturday.
The North Koreans are scheduled to take part in events to be hosted by their South Korean counterparts today and attend an exhibition of artifacts dating back to the ancient Goguryeo Kingdom at the Convention and Exhibition Center (COEX) in southern Seoul Tuesday before leaving for Pyongyang.
The religious leaders will also attend an inter-Korean academic seminar on “Japan's justification of its past aggression toward Asian nations and playing down of its atrocities during World War II.”
Source : www.korea.net
