Stop the Revision to the “Guidelines for US-Japan Defense Cooperation”

The actions of the Japanese government are very destabilizing and disturbing to the North East Asia region as they bid to change their constitution which, since the post-war constitution was written up to this time, has ensured peace and non-aggression as a national policy.  To see the present action of the United States in supporting this revision is very disheartening and extremely alarming and the consequences will be severe.

The South Korean government, through the Ministry of Unification, has told the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) that if this statement is issued, it will be regarded as a political action, which will severely restrict exchange and work with the Korean Christian Federation of North Korea (KCF), including humanitarian aid to North Korea. An emergency meeting of NCCK was held yesterday to discuss our response to the government’s aggressive stand against NCCK. The meeting strongly supported the issuing of this statement to the Korean churches and press, and further decided to send a letter to the Ministry of Unification, strongly protesting their intervention in this matter which we consider an appropriate faith response to social events taking place.

This statement was received from Rev. Shin Seung Min, Director of the Reconciliation and Unification Department of the National Council of Churches in Korea.