Korean Christian Federation

The Korean Christian Federation is a Protestant body in North Korea founded in 1946.[1] The federation is based in the capital city Pyongyang.[2] The current secretary general is O Kyong-u. The federation has come to play an important role in international relations involving North Korea and religious organizations in South Korea and abroad.

Korean Christian Federation
Formation28 November 1946 (1946-11-28)
PurposeRepresents Protestant Christians
HeadquartersPyongyang, North Korea
Secretary General
O Kyong-u
Korean Christian Federation
Chosŏn'gŭl
Hancha
朝鮮그리스도教聯盟
Revised RomanizationJoseon Geuriseudogyo Yeonmaeng
McCune–ReischauerChosŏn Kŭrisŭdogyo Yŏngmaeng

History

The federation was founded on 28 November 1946[3][4] by Christians who had joined the ranks of the new communist administration.[5]

Immediately, it declared that it would support the country's leader Kim Il Sung and oppose the formation of the South Korean state.[6] Back then, the organization was led by Kim Il Sung's mother's cousin Kang Ryang-uk.[7] Although Christians in North Korea were mostly anti-communist, about a third of them joined the Korean Christian Federation.[8] Christian leaders who refused to join were imprisoned.[6]

In 1972, the organization reopened Pyongyang theological college. It published Bible translations and a hymnal in 1983 and oversaw the construction of two new church buildings (via state funds) in 1988.[9]

Following the dissolution of the USSR, the federation has come to play an important role in international relations involving North Korea and religious organizations in South Korea and abroad, particularly in procuring international aid.[10] For example, it has successfully called on the World Council of Churches to organize aid for North Korea.[11] The federation has also been involved in promoting Korean reunification, including a 2014 joint north and south church service organized around themes of peace and reunification.[12]

Organization

The federation is "under close government supervision".[13] The federation itself restricts certain Christian activities.[14] Officially, the institution comprises 10,000 North Korean Christians.[1]

The federation oversees North Korea's two Protestant churches: Bongsu and Chilgol Church, in Pyongyang.[1] It also operates the Pyongyang Theological Seminary.[15] The current secretary general of the organization's central committee is O Kyong-u.[16]

See also

References
  1. Tan, Morse (2015). North Korea, International Law and the Dual Crises: Narrative and Constructive Engagement. Oxon: Routledge. p. 73. ISBN 978-1-134-12243-1.
  2. The Europa World Year: Kazakhstan – Zimbabwe. London: Europa Publications. 2004. p. 2483. ISBN 978-1-85743-255-8.
  3. Nahm, Andrew C. (1996). Korea: Tradition & Transformation : a History of the Korean People. 한림출판사. p. 525. ISBN 978-1-56591-070-6.
  4. Belke, Thomas Julian (1999). Juche: A Christian Study of North Korea's State Religion. Bartlesville: Living Sacrifice Book Company. p. 124. ISBN 978-0-88264-329-8.
  5. "A Moment of Forgiveness and a Moment of Grace" (PDF). oikoumene.org. World Council of Churches. 2017. p. 1. Retrieved 2017-08-11.
  6. Wi Jo Kang (1997). Christ and Caesar in Modern Korea: A History of Christianity and Politics. Albany: State University of New York Press. p. 158. ISBN 978-1-4384-0832-3.
  7. Armstrong, Charles K. (2003). "The Cultural Cold War in Korea, 1945-1950". The Journal of Asian Studies. 62 (1): 94. doi:10.2307/3096136. JSTOR 3096136.
  8. Charles K. (2013). Tyranny of the Weak: North Korea and the World, 1950–1992. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. p. 1946. ISBN 978-0-8014-6893-3.
  9. Boer, Roland (2019). Red theology : on the Christian Communist tradition. Boston: Haymarket Books. pp. 232–233. ISBN 978-90-04-38132-2. OCLC 1078879745.
  10. Boer, Roland (2019). Red theology : on the Christian Communist tradition. Boston: Haymarket Books. pp. 233–234. ISBN 978-90-04-38132-2. OCLC 1078879745.
  11. Boer, Roland (2019). Red theology : on the Christian Communist tradition. Boston: Haymarket Books. p. 233. ISBN 978-90-04-38132-2. OCLC 1078879745.
  12. Boer, Roland (2019). Red theology : on the Christian Communist tradition. Boston: Haymarket Books. p. 234. ISBN 978-90-04-38132-2. OCLC 1078879745.
  13. Baker, Donald L. (2008). Korean Spirituality. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. p. 145. ISBN 978-0-8248-3233-9.
  14. United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on the Judiciary. Subcommittee on Immigration (2003). Examining the plight of refugees: the case of North Korea : hearing before the Subcommittee on Immigration of the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, One Hundred Seventh Congress, second session, June 21, 2002. U.S. G.P.O. ISBN 9780160702693.
  15. Do, Kyung-ok; Kim, Soon-am; Han, Dong-ho; Lee, Keum-soon; Hong, Min (2015). White Paper on Human Rights in North Korea 2015 (PDF). Seoul: Korea Institute for National Unification. p. 221. ISBN 978-89-8479-802-1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-02-20. Retrieved 2018-02-20.
  16. "Religionists Blame U.S., S. Korea for Escalating Tension on Korean Peninsula". KCNA. 22 April 2013. Archived from the original on 26 January 2015.
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