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KOREA NORTH KOREA'S NEW SPECIAL ZONE SPARKS
HOPE FOR MISSIONARY WORK
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SEOUL (UCAN) -- The Catholic
Church in South Korea sees a possibility for mission work in North
Korea in light of the communist country announcing the opening of
a new special economic zone, a Church official says.
North Korean authorities Sept. 21 designated Shinuiju, which borders
China and is its second largest city, as a special zone with autonomous
legislative, judiciary, executive and economic regulations.
Father John Kim Jong-su, secretary general of the Catholic Bishops'
Conference of Korea, believes that, with such a development, "religious
activities would be possible in the special administrative zone."
In an interview Sept. 25 with Seoul archdiocese's Pyonghwa (peace)
Broadcasting Corporation, Father Kim said the bishops will decide
during their biannual general assembly Oct. 14-18 whether to send
Catholic priests to Shinuiju.
He also said Archbishop Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk of Seoul is expected
to study closely ways of establishing the Church in Shinuiju. The
archbishop is apostolic administrator of North Korea's Pyongyang
diocese, which includes Shinuiju. North Korea has no Catholic priests,
but Seoul archdiocese has dozens of priests ready to volunteer working
in North Korea once communist authorities allow missioners to enter.
Father Kim pointed out that the South Korean Catholic Church would
cooperate closely with the Vatican on a church construction project
in Shinuiju and in sending of priests there. He said foreign Catholic
priests who speak Korean fluently could enter the zone easily, while
South Korean priests can follow later.
Maryknoll missioners say they are also optimistic about starting
a new mission in North Korea. Maryknoll Father Carl Costa told UCA
News Sept. 26 that his society is considering the possibility of
"returning" to Shinuiju where the American missioners
first worked in the Korean peninsula in the 1920s.
"If missionary work is allowed in the special zone, we hope
to be there again in cooperation with the Korean bishops conference,"
said Father Costa, assistant regional superior of the Maryknoll
mission in Korea.
Though North Korea has not allowed foreign missioners to work in
the country, Maryknoll missioners in recent years have entered the
country as medical and relief workers.
According to the Korean Roman Catholics' Association in North Korea,
the communist country has about 3,000 Catholics, but it has had
no priests, nuns, brothers or seminarians since the Korean War (1950-53).
Changchung church in Pyongyang, the North's capital, is the only
church building in the communist country.
Two days after North Korean authorities announced the new zone,
Chinese businessman Yang Bin, now a Dutch national, was appointed
its first governor.
According to media reports, the zone would be patterned after Hong
Kong. Shinuiju will have its own Basic Law, under which residents
will not be discriminated against on the basis of nationality, political
views or religion.
During a press conference Sept. 24 in Pyongyang, Yang said he would
manage the zone as a "full capitalist system," fill half
of its legislative council with foreigners and adopt a European-style
judicial system.
Except for North Koreans, no one will need a visa to enter the zone,
Yang said.
September 30, 2002 |
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