The new chief of a liberal Christian association said Thursday that member churches will make efforts to contribute to achieving economic justice and inter-Korean reconciliation in the new year.
"We will raise our voice on social issues, including economic justice and rapprochement between South and North Korea," Rev. Kim Young-joo, head of the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK), said in a press conference. "And we will remember the past when we were in poverty and will try not to forget moderation and reverence."
Kim, elected to the four-year top post of the NCCK in November of last year, said he will push for a plan to run a "peace train" for the World Council of Churches (WCC) assembly slated for 2013 in Busan.
The peace train would transport participants from Europe to the South Korean city via the trans-Siberian railway and railroads running through North Korea, he said.
"I'll discuss the idea with the WCC headquarters and the governments of Seoul and Pyongyang," said Kim. "I expect that this will help the two governments change their stance and cooperate with each other."