President Moon's Dream of Peace on the Peninsula

Next year in March will be President Moon's last day in office. This year on August 15 he gave his last Liberation Day speech and in one sentence: "I have a dream"— Individuals have dreams, but countries also have dreams. We achieved independence because we didn't give up our dream for independence. Korea has become an advanced country because it has achieved its dream of living well. "A country where culture blooms," dreamed a patriot and today has becoming a cultural powerhouse.  So begins the Diagnosis of the Times column in the Catholic Peace Weekly by a Far East Asia research member.

In particular, there are dreams that do not change. One such dream is of peace and unification on the Korean Peninsula. We need to work towards this dream. There are cases of the reunification of East and West Germany, but we want to create a model for the Korean Peninsula. The main point was the message to keep the dream of peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula before us at all times.

The current inter-Korean relationship seems to be increasingly distant from these dreams. Other dreams have come true to some extent, but if we fail to advance our dreams of peace and unification, can we say that we are satisfied and happy? And can we look forward with pride to the next generations?

While North Korea has recently criticized the South Korea-U.S. joint drills, a broadcasting company investigated the unification consciousness of the citizens of South Korea on the occasion of Liberation Day.  

According to the survey, 71.4 percent of the respondents said they felt antipathy toward North Korea. In particular, 38.8 percent of respondents said they felt "very hostile" this continued to increase over the past three years. Interest in unification was also found to be 67.5 percent, the lowest among surveys in the past three years.

On vaccine support for North Korea: 67 percent of the respondents said that it should be supported after achieving collective immunity in the South, followed by "not to support" with 19.1 percent. However, the fortunate thing is that 65.2 percent of the respondents responded positively to the need for unification even though they do not like North Korea. Two out of three respondents recognize the need for unification.

Inter-Korean relations are more serious than ever. In a statement released on the 11th, the director of the Central Committee of the North Korean Workers' Party, aimed his talk at the South Korea-US drills: "(South Korea) blew away an opportunity to improve inter-Korean relations with their own hands and we need to be honest about the price of responding to our good intentions with hostility. You have to let them know,” he said. "Restoring the inter-Korean communication line after 13 months gave the South an 'opportunity to choose', a way of making for a better relationship with North Korea but they chose to conduct South Korea-US drills instead of improving inter-Korean relations."


North Korea's threatening remarks have been numerous before, but what is bitter is that there is no hope of restoring inter-Korean relations in the short term of President Moon's administration, which has put more effort into inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation than any other regime.  North Korea made the difficult decision to restore the inter-Korean communication line in its own way and demanded corresponding measures to suspend the ROK-US military exercise, but in the end, it expressed strong regret for President Moon Jae-in, who failed to do so.
 
The core of North Korea's request is to engage in active national cooperation and strong independent diplomacy in relation to inter-Korean relations. No matter how difficult it is economically, this principled position and demand from the North Korean side will be maintained for a considerable period of time. Something structurally and fundamentally feels amiss in the inter-Korean relations. Indeed, if the entire Korean people do not come to a new agreement and resolve, it seems highly likely that peaceful reunification will simply be idle daydreaming.

The Kingdom of God is Among You

 

A priest, in Bible and Life magazine, gives readers something to think about. He had just given the last Sacraments to a young man injured in a car accident, as he left the intensive care unit of the hospital a person, unknown to him, approached and said: "I hope there is a heaven." His brother was not expected to live very long after falling from a height at a construction site. The priest answered: "Yes, there has to be." 

Yes, without heaven how does one understand all the unjust and horrible things that are experienced in society! If one doesn't have a decent life here on earth after death they will. As in Luke's Gospel (16:25) the poor beggar after death received his consolation. 

However... despite these words, a part of him was not happy with what he said. Is it that we can go to heaven only after death? Is life on this earth only a place for training and testing for heaven? No matter how difficult, painful, unjust, or absurd we endure and wait for our reward in heaven? 

Was this not the reason some of the kings and nobles liked Christianity? The teaching on equality of all was not always to their liking but life after death was a reason they could tolerate Christianity after all it gave hope to the poor. 

True as this may be, it leaves the writer with a feeling that something is not right. Consequently, we have to make sure we understand Jesus's teaching on heaven. It was an important part of Jesus' mission on this earth— the kingdom of God—do we understand its meaning? 

The kingdom of God is where God reigns. This reign of God is to begin here on this earth. The kingdom of God and life on this earth are not separated. The reign of God is present and will continue forever. The kingdom of God is already here with us now but not yet complete. It continues to grow from its small beginnings. It begins with my life here on earth. 

We are not waiting to enter heaven but are in God's kingdom here on this earth. Put in other words heaven is not a place but a state. The words used may lead one to think of heaven as a place but here on earth when we begin living with love, oneness, justice, fairness, vitality, peace, etc. Jesus reigns. Look at the world we live in! It's a world full of things that would fit in hell. But where in this world do we find heaven? Of course, I have no choice but to think of the other world, not this world.

Thinking of heaven as a place is not only awkward. To have the unjust dream of heaven who has made this world hell is that right? Is it possible to live the heavenly life with a heart full of evil? When hearts are doing what God wants us to do, God's reign is working within us we are building God's kingdom and cultivating his kingdom here on earth. Am I not
building the kingdom of God now?

When the wings of a bird are broken, heaven does not disappear. Lift up your head and continue longing for heaven. Thus, the kingdom of heaven exists in the lives of those who yearn and seek it. The martyrs lived that life. They did not die and entered the kingdom of heaven, but people who already lived in heaven. Let's remember the words of the Lord: "Behold, the kingdom of God is among you" (Luke 17:21). 

 

A World Without Nuclear Weapons

 

In the weekly column: Nation, Reconciliation, Unity of the Catholic Times Weekly, the priest writer returns to the issue of a 'World Without Nuclear Weapons'. The world doesn't want to see reality, but the Vatican's efforts working towards "a world without nuclear weapons" continue. 

In addition to Pope Francis, his predecessor, Benedict XVI also called for international efforts to dismantle nuclear weapons, in his 41st World Peace Day statement published on December 8, 2007, he emphasizes the responsibilities of nuclear power holders: "In these difficult times, all well-meaning people must unite to come up with concrete agreements for substantial demilitarized, especially in the field of nuclear weapons. With no progress in the process of banning nuclear proliferation, I strongly urge those in charge to pursue negotiations on the dismantlement of existing nuclear weapons that are developed and mutually agreed upon with a more firm determination. I appeal to everyone who cares about the future of mankind."

Since its inception in the 1960s, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which operates as a standard for the international community to this day, has in fact been committed to reducing nuclear weapons. The "system," designed to avoid the destruction of mankind, not only prohibited any country from developing new nuclear weapons but also contained the prospect that nuclear powers would reduce existing nuclear weapons. 

 

However, even with the pause in the nuclear arms race between the U.S. and Russia and the dismantling of the Cold War between the East and the West, the powers did not give up their nuclear deterrence. Rather, more "efficient" and powerful new weapons have been developed without restriction, with the Catholic Church pointing out that for a world without nuclear weapons, the international community should face inequality among nations first.

As the North Korea-U.S. dialogue has been suspended, it has become difficult to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue. There have been as many as thousands of nuclear weapons in South Korea since the 1950s, with the 1991 agreement between Bush and Gorbachev the tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea were removed.

 

The relocation of tactical nuclear weapons is a claim that came even when the North Korean nuclear crisis escalated in 2017, meaning to give up "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" and bring some tactical nuclear weapons back to South Korea. According to their logic, the reason why there was no nuclear war during the Cold War between East and West was that the U.S. and the Soviet Union had tens of thousands of nuclear weapons each.

In a land where peace through weapons is emphasized and the belief that peace can be maintained only when it has a "deterrence" is more dominant, the church should strive more earnestly for true peace. Let's pray together for the disappearance of nuclear weapons on this earth, not for the peace of nuclear weapons, but reflecting more deeply on the kind of peace we want.

Reducing the Carbon Footprint In Korea

 

The recent Catholic Times featured an article on how to reduce carbon footprint in daily life. Awareness of the climate crisis has increased around the world, calls have been raised for practices to take care of the Earth, our common home.

Pope Francis in his encyclical also stressed that we should all accept responsibility in this common task. We are emitting too much 'carbon footprint' without even realizing it. Carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated during the entire life of a product that is produced, transported and used, and discarded by consumers.

This summer, the earth suffered from abnormal weather conditions. In North America, the heatwave of 40 to 50 degrees Celsius led to forest fires, and record heavy rains in Western Europe and central China. In Iran, the heat and drought have led to protests by residents.
 
Recently, the European Union (EU) announced that it will establish a carbon border tax, a tariff imposed on products produced and imported from countries that emit more carbon than its own, and the U.S. is also moving to introduce the tariff. The South Korean government also declared that it would achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Recently, 'digital carbon footprints', which are carbon generated when using digital devices, are drawing attention. When using the Internet, many computers process operations in real-time and use a lot of power to transfer data.

In particular, cloud storage and music and video streaming services consume far more power than download services. If the devices in the data center overheat, cooling devices are needed which can increase carbon emissions.

In order to reduce digital carbon footprint, it is recommended to use downloads instead of streaming. In addition, when using streaming services, it can reduce carbon footprint by up to 86 percent just by viewing it as standard quality instead of high definition.
 
According to British energy company Obo Energy, if all Britons cut their unnecessary mail just once a day, they could reduce their carbon emissions by 16,433 tons a year. Also, if you make a habit of pulling out a charger right after charging, you can reduce the waste of electricity.  

Ways of reducing the energy in the use of air conditioners. They make life comfortable in hot summer. Because of this, many people have long been blamed for global warming by using air conditioners. However, using it well can reduce carbon footprint.

First, maintain proper temperature! The proper indoor temperature in summer is around 26 degrees Celsius. In addition, if there is a difference of more than 5 degrees from the outside temperature, the red light turns on for health, so if you keep the proper temperature, you can get both health and energy savings.

In addition, just keeping the air conditioner filter clean can save electricity. This is because using dust-stacked filters increases carbon emissions as well as electricity usage.

Cleaning the outdoor filter is also important. Uncleaned outdoor appliances consume more power, and the air conditioner may turn off if the outdoor appliances do not work properly due to accumulated dust.

Above all, the best way is to turn on the fan instead of the air conditioner for about an hour a day. It can save about 6.9 kWh in an hour, which has the same effect as planting half a pine tree.
 
Eating habits that can reduce carbon footprints
Let's narrow the distance between the ingredients to the table. You can eat healthy and eco-friendly vegetarian foods and eat Korean seasonal foods that minimize long-distance transportation.

The distance food traveled from production to distribution is called food mileage. The higher the food mileage, the more fossil fuels, and packaging materials are needed. Therefore, it is a good habit to reduce carbon footprint by purchasing seasonal ingredients in the local areas.

In order for 1kg of meat to be on the table, more than 30kg of beans and grains must be fed to livestock, and about 25.6kg of carbon is usually emitted to produce 1kg of beef. Therefore, consumption of beans, tofu, and potatoes rather than meat and consumption of chicken and eggs rather than beef or lamb can reduce carbon footprint.

Power Of the Collective Memory

 

It was July 14, 2014. Families of victims began a hunger strike in Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, urging the enactment of a special law to find out the truth about the Sewol ferry disaster. At the time, the writer of this article in the Catholic Peace Weekly column, Diagnosis of the Times, was also there, providing legal aid to the victims' families.
 

During the hunger strike, a government official demanded they leave the area saying that the state is taking action and that such a sit-down is not helpful. It was a very inappropriate remark, different from saying that a license to use the square was necessary. After several meetings and phone calls with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the police, the memorial for the Sewol ferry began.
 
He didn't know the hunger strike would continue until the visit of Pope Francis to  Korea and the Mass in Seoul. As the hunger strike of the victims' families continued, the question of what to do during the Mass became controversial. He participated in consultations with the members of the Catholic church but even within the church, there were various opinions regarding what was happening, an invisible war was going on.

Rumors circulated that they should end the sit-down strike for the Mass. He complained to a priest who was discussing it and got an answer: "Do you hear only what you hear and see only what you see?" He decided to have faith. The sit-down strike continued and on August 14, during Mass, the Pope approached the victims of the Sewol Ferry and extended his hand.
 
From the beginning, protests against the families of the Sewol ferry victims continued, denigrating and distorting the claims of the victims' families. On the other hand, the space also served as a place of condolence for the victims of other disasters along with the Sewol Disaster.
 
The Sewol ferry disaster itself is weighty, but the memorial of the Sewol ferry has already become a space of more historical significance. Due to the new construction of Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, changes to the memorial were inevitable. Although they promised to consult, the Seoul Metropolitan Government tried to erase the memory of the Sewol ferry disaster and the history of the candlelight vigils by unilateral notification of demolition of the memorial. It hurt the families of the Sewol ferry victims and everyone who remembers the space. Victims' families had no choice but to go back to a sit-down. There was a temporary relocation of the memory space, but it is necessary to closely monitor the future behavior of the city of Seoul.
 
After visiting South Korea in 2016, the UN Special Rapporteur on Assemblies and Associations said it was natural for those related to the Sewol ferry disaster to "express their sorrow and anger in response to the devastating damage"  as a major element of the rule of law. The memory space is more than a simple memorial space, it's also a space where 'something that cannot happen in a democratic country' took place.
 
As the UN Special 2020 report points out the process of remembering serious human rights violations not only helps foster a democratic culture in which human rights are respected but also the state's legal obligation to guarantee human rights. The memory of the processes and spaces do not fully capture the meaning of the suffering and damage of the victims so the families should not be subjected to additional harm. Without 'memory' there is no guarantee of the right to truth, justice, relief for victims, or prevention of recurrence. This is an opinion that the government and the Seoul Metropolitan Government must keep in mind.
 
Presently all the material from the memorial in the Square has been transferred to the Seoul Metropolitan Council building. The families want the memorial to return to the Square after the renovation is completed. They want to set up a memorial to not only remember the Sewol sinking but also testify to the country’s democratic history. The Seoul city government will hold talks with the families but is against erecting a similar memorial space on the renovated Gwanghwamun Square.
 
We make ongoing history. We have the right and duty to 'remember' it.
 

Concern for Our Common Home

Ecology is a word we are all familiar but that was not always the case. We now realize the harm done to nature returns to harm us and many are crying out to take care of our common home and respect and care for what we have been given. There are degrees of urgency seen in the proposals but still many see it as a non-issue.

How many of us are conscious of the 'light pollution' that is part of our daily life and will continue to grow. We like comfort and ease that has enabled great progress but we don't realize the price we pay.

 

The Catholic News Weekly in Light of the World column helps the readers to appreciate some of the issues involved.  

 

In 1962, during the Cold War era, society was pouring everything into post-war recovery and economic growth, Rachel Carson, an American writer, and environmentalist, wrote The Silent Spring. A classic in the environmental field, this work explains environmental destruction and human greed under the theme of reckless development and destruction, chemical use, and nuclear waste. It also warns that pollutants and harmful chemicals will threaten not only plants and animals, but also humans, and emphasizes the need for a civilization that lives with nature, not just for convenience and pleasure.

What's interesting is the title 'Silent Spring', why is it silent? The silence of spring symbolizes two things. First, it means broken nature and ecology, and second, it means ecosystems and environments that do not work. Furthermore, the silence of spring will lead to the silence of life— death, and devastation. Humans and nature are closely connected and deeply influence each other.

When referring to the environment, the two words eco and environment are quite different. The English word environment means our surroundings, the external situation. The English word 'eco', means ecology, nature, and habitat, (way of life) not just the environment. 'Eco' comes from the Greek word "Oikos", meaning home or place to live— based on the fact that nature and humans are connected as one body. 

 

Therefore, the two words essentially contain differences in the way they view ecology and the environment. The environment is a human-centered concept that can be limited to plants and animals being used and controlled. 'Eco' nature is very close to humans and humans are healthy only when nature is healthy. In the past, nature had mythical attributes and was worshiped, but in modern society, it has become an object of use and exploitation.

Ecology emphasizes the responsibility and vocation to care for and cultivate God's created nature and the world, in which humans humbly view themselves as a part of nature. We are talking about doing the right thing together. Isn't that the beginning of establishing the correct thinking about nature and life? 

 

Recently, we have seen shocking images of a beach on Jejudo Island, famous for its beauty. They were shown on TV and SNS after tourists visited the area and enjoyed its beauty. The beach was a mess with empty bottles of alcohol, and all kinds of garbage left behind. Local residents cleaned up the stench from the mess and appealed that visitors clean up after eating. 

But is it just a concern for summer vacation? Shopping and excessive consumption are increasing, plus the use of disposable items, and waste increases. Our common home, Earth, is getting sick with trash and garbage. Now, it is not the level of environmental pollution and destruction, but the degree of environmental disaster we are experiencing. Actions are urgent. Again, it requires our will and effort to accept inconveniences and difficulties and to respect our neighbors and nature at the same time.

The biblical message and the Church's Magisterium represent the essential reference points for evaluating the problems found in the relationship between humans and the environment. The underlying cause of these problems can be seen in man's pretension of exercising unconditional dominion over things, heedless of any moral considerations which, on the contrary, must distinguish all human activity (#461 Compendium of Social Principles).

Was Jesus a Liberal or Conservative?

 

Was Jesus a liberal or conservative? Each will answer in the way each sees the world and select from the many words and deeds of Jesus to bolster their already formed opinion. It was very clear that he was opposed both by the conservatives and liberals of his day: Pharisees and Sadducees. They both joined together in killing him.

Jesus was for truth and that is not easily categorized as left or right, progressive or traditional, presented often in the media as an ideological conflict.  

The conservatives see the liberals as lacking in spirituality, morality, respect for tradition, and common sense while liberals see the conservatives as lacking compassion, understanding of justice, and being filled with bigotry and selfishness. This type of stereotyping is of no help in working for the common good of society.

It is often easy to put the liberals under one heading and the conservatives in another but that is not reality. We have the ultra-liberal, the liberal, the moderate, the conservative, the ultra-conservative, and countless degrees of adherence and adjectives that describe each position.

Besides these divisions we have: rich and poor, religions, philosophies, political positions, etc. A priest writing for a diocesan weekly bulletin wants to examine the left and right divisions which is one of the most divisive in our present world society and in Korea.

He goes back to the French Revolution where the parliament had the revolutionary party on the left and the ones supporting the king on the right. The present distinctions are not so easily made. He sees the left emphasizing government intervention to achieve economic equality and progress while the conservatives fight for freedom in economics and order in society.

However, when we add ultra to each of these divisions the criticism and divisions intensify. In a small landmass like Korea, school relationships, regional and blood relationships added to the political divisions makes the opposition more pronounced. We can't say this is the majority but a minority that talks as if they are the majority.

It is not easy to say what is true or false. However, it is necessary to emphasize that acceptance and compromise are necessary if the common good is to be in some way realized—especially the case here in Korea with the North-South Divide.

Therefore, we, who believe in and follow the Lord, are members of his team, who understand, forgive, and accept others, rather than slandering and pushing them away. We are the first to extend our hand in friendship, hoping and working for a new beginning.