Der Tozanso-Prozess: Chronological summary

Konsultation in Hongkong vom 21. - 23. Oktober 2009

International Consultation on Peace, Reconciliation and Reunification of the Korean Peninsula:
Towards an Ecumenical Vision beyond the Tozanso Process

TSUEN WAN COMMUNIQUE

 

Chronological summary of diary of the South-North Dialogues and the churches' reunification movement

 

1945

Liberated from Japanese Imperialism, Division into two Koreas with 38 Line and put under trusteeship

1948

Lee Seung-Man and Kim Il-Sung established each government separately in the South and in the North.

1950

June 25 ~ 1953, July 27 Korean War and Cease-fire at Panmoonjum

While the South Korean government's policy toward the North is explicitly in anti-communist line, churches in the later part of 1960's has started to call for democratization in the society and renewal in churches, while maintaining of peaceful confrontation with the communist.

1970

August 15 - President Park Chung Hee, in a Liberation Day address, calls for peaceful competition in development, construction and creativity between the South and the North.

1972

July 4 - In the background of international De Tante between the US and China, Seoul and Pyongyang announced the historic South-North Joint Communique, in which the two sides vow to cease slander and defamation of each other and to promote exchanges. They also agreed to create a South-North Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and to open a direct Seoul-Pyongyang telephone line.

1979

February 27 - The first South-North table tennis meeting is held to discuss the formation of a single inter-Korean team to take part in the 35th World Table Tennis Championship Games in Pyongyang.

In the 1970's, churches in Korea have acknowledged that democratization of Korean society should be a precondition for national reunification and have committed to democratization movement while involving in reunification issues as in an item. The basic spirit of reunification mission is "Independence, Peace and National solidarity" expressed in the July 4th Joint agreement. The NCCK has established "Christian Conference for Reunification and Social Justice." and agreed that people's participation is the most important factor in the process of reunification

1984

September 29, October 4 - The NKRC delivers relief goods comprising 50,000 bags of rice, 500,000 meters of cloth, 100,000 tons of cement and 14 kinds of medicine to the KNRC through Panmunjom and the ports of Inch?n and Pukpà¡; yong.

November 15 - The first inter-Korean economic meeting is held and agreements are reached on possible items to trade, areas of economic cooperation and operational procedures.

1985

June 20 - The third session of the South-North economic talks is held and an accord is reached on adopting agreements on the promotion of goods exchanges and economic cooperation as well as to establish a South-North economic cooperation body headed jointly by deputy prime-minister level officials.

Sept. 20-23 - Groups of hometown visitors and art troupes are exchanged between Seoul and Pyongyang via Panmunjom; of the 50 visitors from the South, 35 meet 41 relatives from the North, and of 50 North Korean visitors, 30 meet 51 relatives from the South.

Oct 8 - The first session of the South-North sports talks under the auspices f the IOC is held in Lausanne, Switzerland.

1989

March 9 - The first South-North sports talk is held concerning the Beijing Asian Games.

December 1 - The fifth South-North sports talk is held. In this talk, the song and flag of South-North single teams for the Beijing Asian Games scheduled for September 1990 are decided.

In 1980's,

churches in Korea recognized reunification issue as one of the most important mission tasks.

1981

The fourth Korea-Germany Church Consultation provided a momentum to form a steering committee of "the Institute of reunification studies" in 1982, but its discussion had not been active because of disturbance of government's authority.

1984

October The WCC/CCIA held 'International Conference on Peace and Justice in the North East Asia in Tosanso, Japan and invited church representatives from South Korean and North Korea, as well as from countries related to Korea, but representatives from the North could not attend. In the conference, on the basis of churches' confession on national division, churches in South Korea has agreed to sublate their antagonism toward the North and policy to isolate it, and to improve cooperation in solidarity with world wide churches. This conference provided an opportunity for christians in the North and the South first come and meet together in Glion, Switzerland in 1986.

1985

The NCCK requested 4 political parties of South Korea to express each policy toward national reunification.

November 11-19the WCC sent 2 delegates to Pyungyang in order to implement the agreed result of Tozanso meeting.

1986

The NCCC-USA visited Pyungyang

Korean churches had conference with the PC-USA and adopted the Joint Statement on Peace and Reunification on the Korean peninsula, and the PC-USA in its General Assembly in the same year adopted a resolution regarding peace and reunification on the Korean peninsula. It became a very important momentum to awake world wide churches to give concern on this issue.

The WCC held the conference under the theme of "the theological and biblical base of christian concern on peace". Christians from the South and the North have first met and participated in the Holy Communion.

1988

in February 29th, the NCCK General Assembly adopted historial document of " Declaration of the Churches of Korea on National Reunification and Peace"

in November 23rd, at the 2nd Glion Conference "Glion Statement" for peace and reunification on the Korean peninsula was adopted. There included 7 important principles:

1) proclaim year 1995 as a year of Jubillee for reunification
2) adopt 5 principles for peace and reunification
3) exclude policy to aggravate state of division adherence
4) preference for recovering of mutual trust
5) nonaggression, disarmament, denuclearization and withdrawal of foreign militaries
6) mobilize exchanges of reunion of separated families and release military and political confrontation at the same time
7) open chanel of ecumenical exchange between the NCCK and the Korean Cristian Federation in the North

1989

in August the WCC Central Committee in Moscowa adopted its own policy toward peace and reunification on the Korean peninsula on the basis of the Glion Statement in front of representatives from churches in the South and in the North.

* Reunification movement in 1980's played an important role to take initiate the discussion related unification issue from churches to extend to people in public. The discussion was totally under the government control and watch.

1990

September 4 - The first South-North High-Level Talks are held in Seoul.

1991

August 12-15Christian Conference on Peace and Reunification toward the year of Jubilee in 1995 was held.

September 17 - South and North Korea concurrently join the United Nations.

December 13 - South and North Korean Prime Ministers sign the Agreement on Reconciliation, Nonaggression and Exchanges and Cooperation between South and North Korea (the Basic Agreement).

1992

January 7-14Rev. Kwon Ho-Kyung, General Secretary of NCCK at the time, visited Pyungyang officially for the first time in response of invitation by Rev. Koh Ki-Joon, Chair of the Korean Chrisitian Federation at that time.

Entering into 1990's, churches in Korea have tried to find the possibility of direct contact with church in the North, and to attempt meetings with christians in the North, and sent items like food and the Bible.

February 18-21 - The sixth South-North High-Level Talks are held in Pyongyang and the Agreement on Reconciliation, Nonaggression and Exchanges and Cooperation between the South and the North, the Joint Declaration of the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the Agreement on the Organization and Operation of the Committees for the South-North High-Level Talks take effect.

March 18 -The first meeting of the South-North Exchanges and Cooperation Committee is held at Panmunjom.

March 19 - The first meeting of the South-North Joint Nuclear Control Commission is held at Panmunjom.

May 18 - The South-North Military Committee, the South-North Economic Exchanges and Cooperation Committee and the South-North Social and Cultural Exchanges and Cooperation Committees are organized and membership rosters are exchanged. The South-North liaison office begins operation at Panmunjom.

1993

August 15Rally of Human Chain between the South and the North

1995

March 28-31the fourth Tozanso Conference : Since 1995 when serious flood and disasters in the North were known to the world outside, worldwide churches such as WCC, WARC, churches in Germany, Canada as well as the PC-USA and the Uniting Church in Australia provided venues to invite representatives from the North and the South for easeing tension in the peninsula and for reconciliation, peace and reunification.

June 28 - A preliminary meeting for the inter-Korean summit was held at the House of Peace in Panmunjom and the two sides agreed to have an inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang from July 25 to 27.

July 9 - North Korea announced the death of Kim Il-sung.

July 11-North Korea announced that the inter-Korean summit would be postponed indefinitely.

1997

October 8 - Kim Jong-il is selected as the general secretary of the North Korean Workers Party.

December 9 - The first full-dress meeting of the Four-Party Talks is held in New York.

1998

February 25 - In his inaugural speech, President Kim Dae-jung announces three principles of his North Korea policy and proposes an exchange of special envoys to implement the 1991 Agreement on Reconciliation, Non-aggression, and Exchanges and Cooperation Between the South and the North (the Basic Agreement).

November 18 - Hyundai Corporation launches its first cruise liner service to Kumgangsan (the Diamond Mountains) in North Korea for South Korean tourists.

1999

May 5 - In an interview with the CNN, the President lists five major tasks for dismantling the Cold-War structure on the Korean Peninsula.

June 3 - The two Koreas agree to hold vice ministerial-level talks in Beijing during the month.

June 22-26 - The two sides hold the first vice ministerial-level talks in Beijing.

2000

March 10 - The President issues the Berlin Declaration which offers to expand drastically economic assistance to the North and open dialogue between the authorities of the two countries.

April 8 -Minister of Culture and Tourism Park Jie-won and Vice Chairman Song Ho-kyong of North Koreaà¡;s Asia-Pacific Committee meet in Beijing and agree to hold a summit meeting between President Kim Dae-jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

June 15 - the South-North Summit Talks and Joint Declaration:

June 20-23The PROK held a prayer meeting in Mt. Keumkang, hoping peace and reunification. Around 1,000 members visited the place in the North.

2002

August 14- Kang, Young-Sup, Chair of Korean Christian Federation visited South Korea first as a church delegate among delegation of 8.15 National Reunification.

Oct 16-17Women's Unification Rally for Peace and Reunificaton and Implementation of the June 15th Joint Declaration (350 from South, 300 from North, 20 from overseas)

8 14- Kang, Young-Sup, Chair of Korean Christian Federation visited South Korea first as a church delegate among delegation of 8.15 National Reunification.

10 16-17 Women's Unification Rally for Peace and Reunification and

Implementation of the June 15th Joint Declaration (350 from South, 300 from North, 20 from overseas)

Established "Kae-Sung Industrial Complex Compound"

Mar-Aug Prayer March hoping for reunificationâ which visits places of having suffering due to the Korean war and the national division: Jeju Island, Geoje Island, Maehyang-ri, Jiree Mt. and Backdoo Mt.

10 16-17 Conference of Women from the North and the South urging for reunification and the fullfillment of June 15 Statement was held in Mt. Keumkang. Almost 670 participants(350 from the South, 300 from the North, 20 from oversea) took the slogan of "Women! Power of Peace!". It upheld the matter of woman in the process of reunification, the role of women in the process of reconciliation and healing, pursuing peace.

2003

Joint Prayer meeting of the churches in the North and the South at Mt. Keumkang was firstly taking place and continued.

3. 1 National Religion's Meeting commemorating March 1st Independence Day in Seoul: 15 representatives of the KCF among the delegation including Rev. Oh Kyung Woo visited Seoul for the first time( Sunday worship at the Somang Church)

6. 16-20 Ecumenical meeting about an Crisis on the Korean peninsula, Washington D.C. the USA. : Dissions about the USA's policy toward North Korea Nuclear issue and desirable relationship between North Korea and the USA

8. 27 The first meeting of the Six party Talks

2005

5. 23 Joint Prayer meeting of the churches in the North and the South at Mt. Keumkang for urging the implementation of the June 15 agreement.

9. 19 the fourth meeting of the Six party tolk, its 2nd dimension: it agreed of the September 9th agreement in Peijing, China.

2006

10.04 The second Summit meeting of the representatives of two Koreas(October 4th Joint Communique between the President Roh Moo Hyun and the Chairperson Kim Jung Il)

12 International Consultation preparing for the Ecumenical Forum for Peace, Reunification and Developement Cooperation. in Hongkong

2008

20th anniversary of the NCCK' 88 Statement

2. 1. Korea-German Seminar on Peace and Reunification of Korea at the Protestant Academy at Arnoldshein, Frankfurt.

2. The first meeting of the Ecumenical Forum for Peace, Reunification, and Development Cooperation on the Korean peninsula at the same place as the above: 4 representatives from the KCF in North Korea including Rev. Kang Young Sup and Rev. Lee Jong Ro.

5. 7-8 the 1st Steering committee meeting of the Ecumenical Forum for Korea in Nanjing, China. 2 representatives from North Korea including Rev. Lee Jong Ro.

10 11 USA's decision to release North Korea from the list of terrorist country

since January, 1988 when the USA enlisted North Korea in the list because of North Korea's terror attack to Korean Airline.

10 13 NCCK's statement welcoming the USA's decision to release NK from the list of torrorist country.

11 3-6 The Pyungyang Joint Prayer meeting of North and South Korean churches praying for the implementation of June 15 Agreement and Peace and Reunification of Korea(99 from South and 300 from North)

2009

8. 18 The President Kim Dae Joong has passed away.

10 The International Consultation commemorating 25th anniversary of Tozanso Process in HongKong


* Complementary comments and corrections would be welcomed through heawonchae@hanmail.net.

 

Tozanso-Prozess

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