Minute for Mission: Day of Prayer for the Peaceful Reunification of the Korean Peninsula

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North and South Korean Christians gathered in 2017, along with ecumenical colleagues and supporters as part of the Ecumenical Forum for Korea.

"He is our peace...and has broken down the dividing wall." - Ephesians 2:14

Each year, Presbyterians around the world join with Korean Christians in observing the Day of Prayer for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea, lifting up prayers rooted in grief, hope and a yearning for peace that transcends borders. For many, this is not just a political issue; it is deeply spiritual and profoundly personal.

After World War II, Korea was divided along the 38th parallel, a temporary military line that, in the aftermath of the Korean Ware (1950-1953), solidified into a permanent and heavily fortified border. What had started as an arbitrary border evolved into the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), now considred one of the most militarized borders in the world. "Families, communities and cultures were split almost overnight," said the Rev. Hyunghee Kim, a United Methodist pastor and Hebrew Bible scholar living in Girdwood, Alaska.

The consequences of this split were deeply personal: Millions of families were torn apart by the conflict, with loved ones stranded on opposite sides of a sealed frontier, unable to reach one another. In 1983, South Korea responded with a poignant national broadcast, "Finding Dispersed Families," where people went on live television to search for missing relatives. "It became a national moment of weeping, mourning and deep yearning," Hyunghee said.

For Korean Christians, the longing for reunification is rooted in both faith and history, but the path forward is complex. "I believe that true reconciliation requires not only spiritual healing, but also political, historical and emotional restoration," said Miyoung Kim, a Korean Presbyterian living in Virginia. "I hope our prayers can come from a place of compassion, humility and a desire to understand its complexity."

The hope of reunification is more than nationalistic; it is also theological. "though it is a political reality, the separation is deeply spiritual," Hyunghee said. "In Korean Christian theology, this longing often parallels biblical themes of exile and return, brokenness and healing, and division and reconciliation."

Worship practices for this day include intercessory prayer, lighting candles for the North and South, and singing beloved hymns like Let Us Be One, which prays, Let us be one, in the love of the Lord. Likewise, secular songs like Arirang Alone express a sense of deep longing.

As we mark this Day of Prayer, let us join in that longing, with candles lit, hymns lifted and hearts open.

Alex Pickell, Peacemaking Fellow, Office of Public Witness, Interim Unified Agency

Let us join in prayer for:

Julie Tonini, Director of Production, Publishing & Editorial Presbyterian Publishing Corp.
Janet Toole, Vice President, Affiliated Markets, Board of Pensions 

Let us pray:

God of mercy, we weep for what has been lost - families torn, stories silenced, generations divided. Bring healing to this land and peace to your people.

Make us one, O Lord, in your purpose and will.