A senior Catholic leader in South Korea has called on the nation to confront rising hostility and reclaim a shared vision for reconciliation, as the government signals its intention to restart dialogue with North Korea.
According to a report from the Vatican’s Fides News Agency, Bishop John Kim Sun-tae of Jeonju, who chairs the Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of South Korea, issued the appeal as the country enters Advent and revisits the debate on inter-Korean engagement.
“Let us overcome hatred, protect human dignity, engage in relationship with one another, pursue universal fraternity, and work toward a world without discrimination, where the justice and love of the Lord are realized,” the prelate said in the statement.
Bishop Kim said “people still suffer from hatred and discrimination” around the world and reminded believers who know “the value of human dignity” that “we commit ourselves to creating a world of love and unity.”
He warned that animosity is spreading across South Korean society.
He noted that “feelings of hatred are spreading among young and old and have reached a very worrying level in our society,” while enthusiasm for reconciliation and reunification—once regarded as “one of the priorities” in political, social, and religious life—has weakened, especially among younger generations.
The Church, he said, is committed to “keeping the flame of hope alive.”
Appealing to “all people of good will,” Bishop Kim said he hopes “that hearts will open so that we may recognize that all people are created in the image of God and possess inherent dignity, and so that we may have hearts full of respect and consideration for all people.”
He added that the path forward is “the universal empathy that Jesus demonstrated” and urged political leaders to “pursue policies for the benefit of all and for coexistence—in other words, ‘good policies.’”
The bishop’s message coincides with the South Korean government’s move to revive inter-Korean contact, particularly to negotiate the release of six South Korean citizens detained in the North. The prisoners were arrested between 2013 and 2016 on espionage charges.
“Since dialogue and exchanges between North and South Korea have been suspended for a considerable period, our citizens continue to suffer from the division of the country, and this issue urgently needs to be resolved,” the presidential office said in a statement. “We will work toward resuming inter-Korean dialogue as soon as possible, based on public consensus.”
The Ministry of Unification confirmed plans to begin “consultations with North Korea,” though Pyongyang has rejected talks since 2023, when Kim Jong Un announced he would sever all ties with Seoul.
