Paju, religious leaders united for peace in Korea and in the world

They participated in an event organized by the Korean Conference of Religions for Peace (Kcrp), which brings together the seven major religions in South Korea. Also commemorating the centenary of the "March 1 Movement", a popular uprising against the colonial rule of Japan. The day of the celebrations, churches, cathedrals and Buddhist temples will ring their bells in unison.

Seoul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Coming from South Korea and abroad, about 250 religious and historical leaders held a prayer meeting this morning near the border with North Korea to call for peace in the world.

The World Peace Prayer Gathering was organized by the Korean Conference of Religions for Peace (Kcrp), an association that brings together the seven major religions of South Korea.  It took place at the Dorasan station in Paju, several kilometers south of the inter-Korean border. The participants of the event also commemorated the centenary of the Samil undong 삼일 운동 (三 一 運動), the "March 1 Movement", a popular uprising organized in 1919 by Korean patriots against the colonial rule of Japan.

The leaders of Buddhism, Protestantism, Catholicism and other religions that are part of the KCPR have read a prayer for peace on the Korean peninsula.

In the prayer, the leaders said: "The March 1 Independence Movement bravely declared national self-reliance and a new era of independence 100 years ago. Our dream is a world where everyone lives like a human being. We'll never give up the dream."

Japan dominated the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945. In 1919, following the death of King Gojong of Korea, political exiles abroad and local clandestine movements wrote the Unilateral Declaration of Independence, called Gimidognip seoneonseo 기미 독립 선언서; they planned public reading for the first of March.

Gathered in the Seoul Pagoda Park, on the morning of that day the 33 signatory activists carried out their plan in front of a large crowd. A wave of protests followed that immediately took over the whole capital. The Japanese authorities responded with a ferocious repression; throughout the country there were more than 7 thousand dead, over 10 thousand injured and an unknown number of prisoners (for some experts 50 thousand).

Leaders of the seven major South Cora religions have declared that they will participate in various commemorative events, prepared by the government and civic groups in memory of the March 1 Movement.

The most important ceremony organized by the government will take place in Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square, but demonstrations are planned in numerous provincial cities. From noon on March 1, the bells of the places of worship of each of the seven religions will peel in unison for three minutes. Each religious confession will then hold its own event to celebrate the centenary.