World Communion of Reformed Churches adopted statement on Korea

The World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) adopted the following statement on peace in Korea at the 27th General Conference in Chiang Mai, Thailand in October 2025.

Militarisation – Witnessing for Peace in a Violent World

In today’s interconnected world, conflicts in one region have a profound impact on the global community, affecting it economically, socially, and politically. For developing nations, like Trinidad and Tobago, disruptions to the global food supply chain caused by conflict have lasting impacts on food
security, livelihoods, and public health. Persevering in witness, followers of Christ are called to be peacemakers. In continuity with the WCRC’s confessional witness against the powers of empire and death dealing systems, we discern militarisation as a violation of God’s covenant of life, justice and peace. Militarisation reflects the empire’s false promise of peace through domination, a reality the Accra Confession exposes as idolatry that denies God’s sovereignty. The church is called to costly solidarity and witness rejecting the false security of weapons, standing with those whose lives and lands are torn apart by war while the agents of militarisation capitalise economically. Militarisation also intersects with several other issues. Due to militarisation, many people have lost their lives violently, many have fled their countries seeking refuge elsewhere, while countless others are internally displaced. The impact of militarisation disproportionately harms women and children often in harmful ways, silencing their voices and denying their dignity. A generation has grown up knowing only violence and insecurity, shaping their worldview and future leadership.

The General Council is called upon to:

1. Participate actively in global efforts for peace, supporting initiatives that promote nonviolent conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and justice.
2. Encourage member churches to establish and support ministries specifically designed to assist displaced persons and refugees.
3. Encourage member churches to collaborate with local and global partners to address the growing food insecurity resulting from international conflicts.
4. Work towards establishing programmes to encourage social cohesion and combat xenophobia in communities affected by migration.
5. Collaborate with ecological and humanitarian organisations to advocate for environmental protection in conflict zones and promote sustainable development in post war recovery efforts.
6. Invite Member churches to call on their governments to reduce military spending.

Calls for Peace and Justice in Asia (East) Persevering in Witness

In keeping with the Council’s call to persevere in witness to peace, reconciliation, and the healing of creation, the committee received several submissions addressing urgent situations across east Asia. These appeals share a common longing for justice and a commitment to transforming structures of These appeals share a common longing for justice and a commitment to transforming structures of violence through faith and solidarity. violence through faith and solidarity.

The Korean Peninsula – Pilgrimage of Peace and Reunification

In 2025, the 80th year of division and the 72nd year since the signing of the armistice agreement, the Korean Peninsula remains one of the most sensitive flashpoints in the global peace landscape and a focal point of military tension in Northeast Asia. The overlapping dynamics of U.S. China strategic rivalry, strengthened security cooperation among North Korea, Russia, and China, and the trilateral military alignment of South Korea, the United States, and Japan have created an atmosphere where the logic of deterrence prevails over the language of dialogue. In such a context, the pursuit of reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula is not merely a regional concern but a global spiritual journey that holds the possibility of transforming the structures of violence into pathways of peace.

The World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC), as an ecumenical community called to serve God’s life, justice, and peace, recognizes the current situation on the Korean Peninsula through a lens of global moral responsibility. We affirm that healing relationships and restoring channels of trust are central to our shared pilgrimage of peace. We recall the moment at the 2017 WCRC General Council in Leipzig, when representatives of churches from both South and North Korea gathered around an agape meal. That encounter testified that even in a context of division, the church remains one body called to communion. It is in this spirit that we reaffirm our commitment to accompany the churches on the Korean Peninsula so that spaces of encounter and dialogue may be reopened.

Following the unlawful martial law in 2024, faith communities and civil society in Korea rose to defend democracy and human dignity. As a fragile opening for humanitarian and faith based engagement emerges, the global church is called to accompany the Korean people in nurturing reconciliation amid the still open wounds of war.

Reconciliation and peace on the Korean Peninsula is, therefore, a confession of faith for the global church. We pray that mistrust may give way to mutual respect, and that the logic of security may be transformed into the practice of life affirming justice. The WCRC affirms that we are companions in this journey, and we hold in hope that the Korean Peninsula and the broader region of Northeast Asia may become a land where the peace of God takes root.

The General Council is called upon to:

Korea

1. Pray and speak out so that governments choose de-escalation and reopen dialogue to ease military tensions in Korea and Northeast Asia.
2. Observe the Sunday of Prayer for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea (Sunday before 15 August) and encourage all WCRC churches to join using the shared prayer resources in their own worship context.
3. Support and strengthen the Ecumenical Forum for Peace, Reunification and Development of the Korean Peninsula (EFK) with WCRC partners to reopen spaces for encounter and theological dialogue among churches in North and South Korea and the region.
4. Advocate for humanitarian exceptions to sanctions and travel restrictions that block faithbased engagement and compassionate service.
5. Engage in the Korean Peace Pilgrimage through youth exchanges, peace education, prayer networks, and ecumenical learning circles that nurture a community of peace in action.
6. Encourage the WCRC to send an ecumenical peace delegation or Pilgrimage of Peace to Korea and the DMZ as a visible sign of global solidarity and a witness against war.