Seoul, over 90 young people at the pilgrimage of peace in the Demilitarized Zone

The young people  come from 15 countries around the world. They are accompanied by eight missionaries, Benedictine and Salesian.  The initiative has reached its eighth edition.  Card  Yeom: "I hope you can understand how important peace is in our lives".

Seoul (AsiaNews) - More than 90 young people from 15 countries around the world are taking part in the "Wind of Peace 2019", a six-day pilgrimage to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) - on the border between the two Koreas - to call for world peace  and on the Korean peninsula. 

Now in its eighth edition, the initiative opened yesterday and is organized by the Committee for the Reconciliation of the Korean People of the Archdiocese of Seoul, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism and the Ministry of Unification.  This year, eight Sisters, both Salesian and Benedictine from Tutzing take part.

Pilgrims will walk a journey through the counties of Go-seong, Yang-ku, Cheol-won, to Yeon-cheon.  The itinerary includes the Haeparang-gil trail, the Dutayeon waterfalls and the Peace Observatory.  For the 2019 edition, the organizers have also added to the route the "Road of Peace of the DMZ of Cheol-won", recently opened to the public.

In addition to walks, there is a wide range of activities: lessons, experiences, presentations, discussions, community programs and testimonies of young North Korean refugees.  There will also be Mass and torchlight prayer vigils.  Next 19 August, Card.  Andrew Yeom, Soo-jung, archbishop of Seoul, and Msgr.  Alfred Xuereb, apostolic nuncio in Korea and Mongolia, will concelebrate a mass and will meet the young pilgrims.

During the opening ceremony that took place yesterday, Card. Yeom told the participants: "I hope you can understand how important peace is in our lives.  As Pope Francis has always emphasized, we should discover the harmonious way of coexisting with the earth, Mother Nature, that is our "Common Home".  I sincerely pray that, in this precious time, you may be reconciled with yourself, with your neighbors, with the environment and, finally, with God ”.