기 요한, John Egger

I woke up on Sunday to the terrible news about the crowd crush in Itaewon. At first, I couldn't believe it. Itaewon is only six subway stops from where I live. Fortunately, I didn't personally know any of those who died, but I still feel badly affected. I think everyone in South Korea feels that way. As of last report, there were 156 people dead, and 172 injured, among them 26 foreigners. Most of them were young people in their twenties. Yesterday two of my colleagues and I — Lydia from USA (Disciples of Christ) and Emily from Germany (Berlin Mission Werke) — went to Itaewon to pay our respects to those who lost their lives. There is a makeshift memorial there, right beside the subway station, close to where it all happened. Buddhist monks were chanting; news reporters were broadcasting; many people were there just to share their grief. We placed flowers at the memorial and wrote special messages of condolence. It was quite overwhelming. Afterward we attended an ecumenical...

A large contingent of folks from the PROK just got back from the  11 th  Assembly  of the World Council of Churches in Karlsruhe, Germany, where they had gathered  from  Aug. 31 st  to Sept. 8 th   under the theme, “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity.” It has been almost nine years since the last General Assembly in Busan (South Korea), so this was a significant event.   Delegates at the Assembly (WCC 11th Assembly, Karlsruhe, Germany 2022: Albin Hillert/WCC ) "Christ's love moves the world to reconciliation and unity" (WCC 11th Assembly, Karlsruhe, Germany 2022: Albin Hillert/WCC) In this photo: Ms. Patti Talbot from the United Church of Canada (centre) and Rev. Kim ChangJu< General Secretary of the PROK (right) (WCC 11th Assembly, Karlsruhe, Germany 2022: Albin Hillert/WCC) I followed the event closely because the PROK, along with several of its partners in Korea, is keenly interested in what goes on at the WC...

  At the end of June I was privileged to fly to the island of Jeju to participate in a commemorization of the Jeju uprising and massacre hosted by Jeju Presbytery for leaders of the PROK. Along with Moderator Rev. EunKyong Kim, General Secretary Rev. Changju Kim, and several other leaders from the PROK General Assembly, I got to see with my own eyes many of the sites on Jeju Island where some terrible atrosities and violations of human rights took place seven decades ago.   To most Koreans, Jeju is an island paradise, a holiday destination with beautiful beaches and mountains, but it has a painful history. For a long time the truth of the massacres that took place between 1947 and 1950 was suppressed by the South Korean government. Even the offical title for the event—“the Jeju 4.3 Incident”— reflects this contested history in that it makes it sound like it was a single isolated event that took place by accident. But during this time period at least 30,000 Jeju Islanders lost ...

Hello everyone! Wherever you are in world, I invite you to join with me in tuning into a special online worship service in support of the United Church of Canada's ten thousand peace signature campaign aimed at putting a formal end to the Korean War, with a reflection from the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea, Rev. Eun-kyung Kim. It will take place on Wednesday, April 27 at 9:00 am Eastern Time. More information (and links to the service) can be found here: Worship Service with Rev. Eun-kyung Kim If the time is not convenient for you (it will be 7 am in Alberta, and 10 pm in Korea!), you can watch the service on the United Church's Youtube channel at a later time. (Follow the links) The United Church of Canada is aiming to gather 10,000 Canadian signatures for the Korean Peace Appeal by this summer. If you haven't already signed the petition, now is your opportunity! Follow the link to the petition here: Sign the Korea Peace Appeal petition

I want to take advantage of the opportunity to encourage everyone to add their signature to the online Korea Peace Appeal. The Korea Peace Appeal is an international campaign that seeks to amplify voices calling for an end to the Korean War and a transition from armistice to peace on the Korean Peninsula and throughout the world. The National Council of Churches in Korea seeks to collect 100 million signatures by 2023, the 70th anniversary of the armistice, and has challenged the United Church of Canada to add 10,000 signatures by the summer of 2022. (See   here ) You too can add your signature! And don't forget to invite others as well Hear some thoughts about why you should sign from these foreign young people who have been living here in Korea for the past few months: link to video Special thanks to my colleagues Abby, Grace, Hans, Yuki, Lydia, Marie, Kate - here in Korea from the United Church of Christ, Presbyterian Church (USA), Lutheran Church in Germany, United Church of Ch...

Today I want to introduce you to another of my mission co-worker colleagues, Kurt Essling er . Kurt has been here in South Korea with his partner Hyeyoung Lee since 2013 as mission co-workers sent from the Presbyterian C h urch USA. They started out as site co-ordinators for the PC(USA)’s Young Adult Volunteers Program, and Hyeyoung continues in this role, but Kurt now serves full time in the office of NCCK. John: Kurt, let me start off by asking you about the NCCK. What is the NCCK and how does it work in Korean society?    Kurt:  NCCK is the National Council of Churches in Korea, and they were the first mainline Protestant ecumenical council  in Korea . Currently there are nine denominations who are members of NCCK, and the  Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea ( PROK )  is one of th em , and the other Presbyterian denomination, the  Presbyterian Church in Korea ( PCK ) ,  is  also a member.  T he NCCK provides a larger ecumeni...