This month brings us to the 71st anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement, a pact that halted active combat on the Korean Peninsula without ending the war. The Presbyterian Church (USA), with its enduring mission partnership in the Koreas, has long championed peaceful resolutions and reconciliation in the region. While often dubbed the "forgotten war" in the United States, it is a "forever war" for those living on the Korean Peninsula. The two Koreas, both backed by larger nations, are a key example of violence and grief that is lasting, divisive, and corrosive.
The armistice, signed by China, the UN Command led by the US, and North Korea, did not conclude the Korean War but merely paused it, leaving the Koreas in a perpetual state of conflict. The United States maintains significant influence, exercising wartime command authority (OPCON) over the South Korean military, thereby sustaining the tension. This unresolved war has inflicted continuous suffering, with countless families still separated, resources funneled into military capacities, and human rights compromised in both North and South Korea. Recent expansions in US-South Korea military drills, justified as defensive, have provoked North Korea to resume missile tests. Fears of conflict have grown on both sides as we approach the anniversary of this war.
In the past few months, tensions have escalated to a new high point, with increased division between North Korea backed by Russia and China, and South Korea supported by the United States and Japan. North Korea continues rounds of missile testing in the region, and South Korea’s political broadcasts continue over the border. Furthermore, Russian President Vladmir Putin visited Pyongyang in June, demonstrating the increased polarization of global politics. Additionally, the presence of large US military armaments has exacerbated tensions. Both sides have increased hostile activities on their border, with shots fired this past week. Prayer and action are needed to move towards peace in this critical region.
Our 2018 and 2022 General Assemblies have instructed the PC(USA) to advocate with domestic and international bodies for a peaceful resolution, the lifting of sanctions harming North Koreans, and the enhancement of people-to-people exchanges. The U.S. government and the international community must prioritize a new peace-building initiative on the Korean Peninsula. With countless lives at stake, the United States, as a primary party in the ongoing conflict, has a moral imperative to seek a peaceful resolution.
In the past year, a bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep Brad Sherman (D-CA) that would further these initiatives. The Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act, H.R. 1369 calls for serious, urgent diplomacy in pursuit of a binding peace agreement to formally end the Korean War. Please contact your Representative and urge them to cosponsor HR 1369.
Furthermore, we ask you to request your Senator(s) to draw attention to the significance of the issue, and to consider introducing similar legislation in the Senate.
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