[imText1]A Week of Prayer for North Korea will be held the 4th week of June in 30 different cities around the world.
The week of prayer was suggested by CSW in June 2004, and Christian Social Responsibility will be leading the week of prayer from the 19th to the 23rd, in front of the Chinese embassy in Hyoja dong, Seoul.
Each church group will pray for one hour from 8am to 8pm, which amounts to 12 hours and 2,000 people daily and 60 hours and 10,000 people in total.
On the 23rd, the last day of the relay prayer meetings, all participating churches will come together at 7pm and hold a prayer vigil.
In the US, the Midland Korean Church Coaltion willl be leading the movement and hold relay prayer meetings in front of the Chinese embasy from the 19th to the 25th. In England, protests will be held in front of the Chinese embassy on the 22nd, and prayer meetings will be held on the 24th at St. Michael’s church.
In addition, Korean churches in Europe, including Belgium and Denmark, and in North and South America and Austrailia will be participating as well.
Christian Social Responsibility held a press conference on the 7th, and asked for active participation by Korean churches.
“Christians Were Persecuted in North Korea”
Christian Social Responsibility stated that, “Pyongyang has become the center of worship of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, and was once called the Jerusalem of the East. North Korean dictators persecuted Christians systematically and sent them to prison camps from which they never emerged. We cannot turn away from the sufferings of our brothers”.
When asked about why they chose to pray in front of the Chinese embassy, they said, “North Koreans who have found solaec in Christianity are sent to prison camps until they die. China must stop forcibly repatriating North Koreans”.
Pastor Suh Kyung Suk, of Christian Social Reponsibiity, said the week of prayer is more like a campaign begun in Europe, rather than just Korea-oriented.
Pastor Suh said, “Protests against forcible repatriation were held twice in front of the Chinese emabssy, but such a big program involving participation of 60 churches is unprecedented. The Chinese embassy hasn’t paid attention to our activities, but this week of prayer should have major implications”.
◆ Churches or groups that want to participate can visit www.prayfornorthkorea.net
