Religious leaders in South Korea called for solidarity ahead of Easter Sunday to confront the unprecedented challenge posed by Yoon Suk Yeol’s Dec. 3 declaration of martial law that led to the former president's ouster.
Seoul Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick said solidarity is slowly taking root in the face of deepening political confusion that has yet to be resolved.
“What we need most now is hope and conviction, one that transcends this darkness,” Chung said in a statement.
The National Council of Churches in Korea, one of the four largest Protestant alliances in the country, said dialogue would be the remedy to the current turmoil.
“The church will lead by example, realizing God’s love, justice and intentions as we mark Easter Sunday,” said the Rev. Kim Jong-seng, the NCCK general secretary.
The Rev. Kim Jong-hyuk, president of the United Christian Churches of Korea, another Protestant alliance, said patience and restraint are what the country needs right now as it readies to elect a new leader on June 3 in a snap election.
“We’re at a crossroads, grappling with serious division, a tarnished national image and a sputtering economy,” Kim said, adding channeling resentment and rage only complicates the crisis.
On Saturday, the UCCK will hold Easter Parade at Gwanghwamun Square, an annual event the church alliance expects to draw some 20,000 participants. The parade will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., hosting performances.
Rev. Jun Kwang-hoon — an ultraconservative populist Presbyterian pastor who has been the face of pro-Yoon rallies — is also expected to lead an open Easter service at the square, worrying police over clashes between congregants.
The 69-year-old Jun has labeled Yoon’s imposition of military rule on the country a “holy mishap,” prompting an outcry from Protestant alliances, some of whom have also raised suspicions about the official ordination process Jun claims to have gone through.
siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com
