A female Catholic religious order in South Korea has opened a center to support North Korean refugees who struggle for survival in the East Asian country.
Newsroom (27/02/2022 7:45 PM Gaudium Press) The Little Servants of the Holy Family congregation set up the center in the Namyangju-si area of Uijeongbu Diocese in central South Korea.
“Seeds of Peace” is the second community center for refugees run by the South Korea-based religious order after their first in capital Seoul.
Bishop Peter Lee Ki-heon of Uijeongbu Diocese blessed the center in the presence of nuns from the congregation and female members of a Catholic choir group on March 17, reported Catholic Times of Korea.
Bishop Lee celebrated a special Mass and expressed gratitude to the nuns for expanding services to refugees.
“A center for North Korean refugees has been long overdue. They need comfort and support to ease their suffering after fleeing their country,” Bishop Lee said during his homily.
“I pray and hope this center will become their home. North Korean refugees will be able to share their difficulties with the nuns and live a hopeful life relying on God.”
Center director Sister Jin Hyung-ran said the congregation decided to open the center to offer long-term pastoral support to refugees for their development and resettlement.
“We will ensure that the refugees who come to the center feel at home and feel connected with the Church,” Sister Jin said.
North Korean refugee Sophia attended the blessing ceremony of the new center. She said the center will help refugees overcome difficulties in their adopted country.
“North Korean refugees live very hard lives and remain vulnerable to abuses. I hope the center will provide an opportunity to share their grievances and find comfort. It will become a meeting place for them and they will get necessary information for settlement in the country,” she said.
Background
For decades, the Catholic Church in South Korea has been running services, including accommodation facilities and schools for refugees from North Korea to help them assimilate.
Korea was a unified nation until Japanese imperial rule that ended after World War II. From 1392 to 1897, Korea was ruled by the Joseon dynasty, and it became a protectorate of Japan.
The end of Japan’s occupation saw Korea split into two by the United States and the Soviet Union. Following disagreements over unification, communist forces from North Korea invaded South Korea. The Korean War (1950-53) left about four million dead and about 10 million families displaced.
According to South Korea’s Unification Ministry, from 1994-98, due to a famine in North Korea, about 30,000 people fled their country and settled in South Korea.
Despite strict border controls set up by North Korea, some 1,000 people fled to South Korea in 2019 and about 229 in 2020, reported Korea Hana Foundation, a state-run organization supporting North Korean refugees in South Korea.
(Via UCA News)
Compiled by Raju Hasmukh
