Ecumenical Forum for Korea: Food for North Korea - urgent but denied

„Lass dich nicht vom Bösen überwinden, sondern überwinde das Böse mit Gutem" ist die Jahreslosung 2011 aus Röm. 12,20 und im Vers davor steht ein Zitat aus Sprüche25,21-22. „Wenn deinen Feind hungert, gib ihm zu essen; dürstet ihn, gib ihm zu trinken. Wenn du das tust, so wirst du feurige Kohlen auf sein Haupt sammeln"

Der Nationale Kirchenrat in Südkorea hat dies Ernst genommen und gegen den Willen der Südkoreanischen Regierung 172 Tonnen Lebensmittel nach Nordkorea geliefert.

Nun besteht die Gefahr, dass gegen die Verantwortlichen des NCC Anklage erhoben wird (siehe untenstehende Berichte). (LD)

1. Bericht vom NCCK aus Seoul

2. Zum Hintergrund (von LD)

3. Ein Musterbrief (auch als pdf zum download)

Ecumenical Forum for Korea: Urgent Food Support to North Korea

May 23rd, 2011

Dear friends of the Ecumenical Forum for Korea,

Warm greetings,

I would like to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt appreciation on your solidarity you have shown for peace building on the Korean peninsula.

I am writing to you in order to inform you of the recent urgent situation on the Korean peninsula.

On 18th of May, last Wednesday, the NCCK has sent 172 tons of flour, which costs 87,000 U$, to the Korean Christian Federation in the DPRK through the channel of the Amity Foundation in Nanjing, China.

It took almost 2 months for the Amity Foundation to purchased the flour and transport them in truck to Shineuijoo, a city at the border, with the great sense of solidarity. And it is on the way of transporting to Pyongyang.

Actually it has been carried out according to the meeting of representatives from the NCCK and the KCF in Beijing, China, on March 16th, 20011.

We have heard of the serious problem of food shortage from them as well as from the World Food Program representatives. However as Lee Myung Bak's government has blocked any civil society for last 3 years, we could not send any food or humanitarian assistance like medicine, milk to the starving people in DPRK.

This determination and action to send the flour through the Amity Foundation has been reported in the media like daily and religious news papers. And this breakthrough has been welcomed and supported by many churches and people, who had been longing and searching for the way of sending food to the DPRK.

The Korean government is now very angry at this NCCK's activity, and it is going to make this case to the court as an illegal activity against to the Law of civilian cooperation and exchange between the North and the South, which strictly forbide any contact and meeting with North Korea without the permission of government.

At this moment, the NCCK would like to ask you, the ecumenical partners who are seeking for peace on Earth, to give concern, to pray and to cooperate together with Korean Christians who just wanted to open the strictly closed door between the North and the South, and send the food to the starving people.

The following are some points reported in the news regarding the NCCK's position:

1) Christians in South Korea firmly believe that supporting food to our brothers and sisters in the North who are faced with starving is to follow the teaching of Jesus Christ.

2) Even though the South Korean government has prohibited civil organizations and religious organizations from supporting people in North Korea, we will follow the order of Jesus Christ, to love our suffering neighbors.

3) We are appealing to South Korean government to resume its humanitarian support to North Korea without any condition, if it really want to realize peace on the Korean peninsula. Observing the serious situations of our brothers and sisters in the North, we cannot limit its support of food only to babies and young children, which is violating the principle of humanitarian aids.

4) The NCCK will continue to work for humanitarian aids to people in North Korea.

Our requests:

1) Therefore we would like to request you to give concern and prayer as well as your solidarity through which you urge your government to change its policy toward North Korea and to resume its economic support for people who are facing with starving.

2) And as well it would be good for you to write your church's position and request to the South Korean government.

3) The Amity Foundation has expressed more than its willingness to help South Korean Churches' support to people in North Korea and to send flour to North Korea.

Therefore we humbly ask you to join in our journey. Your financial participation will be affecting much on opening doors of humanitarian aids to North Korea.

The Ecumenical Forum for Peace, Reunification and Development Cooperation on the Korean peninsula

Zum Hintergrund
von Lutz Drescher, EMS

Im Februar erschien der Bericht des World Food Programm aus dem hervorgeht, dass auch in diesem Jahr in Nordkorea ca. 460 000 Tonnen Getreide fehlen werden. Sowohl die USA wie auch die Südkoreanische Regierung haben ihre humanitäre Hilfe für Nordkorea fast vollständig eingestellt und die südkoreanischen Behörden erlauben selbst den Kirchen und der Zivilgesellschaft kaum noch, Hilfslieferung in den Norden zu schicken. Ihre Begründung ist, dass die Nordkoreanische Seite ihre Berichte über den Mangel übertreibe, um jetzt schon ihre Lager für das Jahr 2012 zu füllen, in dem der 100. Geburtstag von KIM Il Sung gefeiert werden soll.

Die Politik der derzeitigen südkoreanischen Regierung zielt darauf ab, Nordkorea gleichsam in die Knie zu zwingen, was jedoch bisher nur dazu geführt hat, dass der chinesische Einfluss stärker geworden ist.

Bei einem Treffen von Vertretern des Nordkoreanischen Kirchenbundes mit Vertretern des KNCC am 16. März in Peking haben erstere eine inständige Bitte ausgesprochen, Lebensmittel zu schicken. Dieser Bitte hat der Nationale Kirchenrat nun entsprochen.

Es besteht die Möglichkeit Briefe zu schicken an das Wiedervereinigungsministerium und an den Präsidenten. Musterbrief s.u.

Musterbriefe an das Wiedervereinigungsministerium und an den Präsidenten

Ministry of Unification
HYUN In-Taek
Central Government Complex
55 Sejong-no;77-6 Sejong-no 1ga
Jongno-gu
Seoul
Korea110-760

In Kopie auch an den Präsidenten:

President LEE Myung Bak
Blue House
Cheongwhadea-no
Seoul
Korea


Ein Musterbrief in Englisch, kann auch auf Deutsch geschrieben werden.

Dear President, dear Minister of Unification,

We are aware about the extremely difficult situation of the people in  North Korea and as Christians we ask the South Korean Government to resume humanitarian aid to the people in the North (see Romans 12, 19). Furthermore we urge the government to allow the churches and the civil society to deliver food and humanitarian aid to the North.

For us it would be unacceptable if a criminal investigation and a court case would be started against people who have done this especially against KNCC.  

Yours sincerely

Urgent Food Support to North Korea
> hier  als pdf-Datei

Musterbrief als pdf
"An den Präsidenten von Südkorea"
> hier  

9. Juni 2011
Der Christenbund in Nordkorea dankt für die Nahrungsmittelhilfe des KNCC
> hier  als pdf-Datei