WCC NEWS: Easter prayer expresses deep longing for peace on the Korean Peninsula

An Easter prayer published by the National Council of Churches in Korea expresses deep longing for peace on the Korean Peninsula, and for the day when Christians from the south and the north can come together in prayer and worship. Odusan Unification Observatory, South Korea. Photo: Marcelo Schneider/WCC 01 April 2026 This year’s prayer comes after a significant moment in Korea’s democratic journey. The ecumenical community in Korea continues to pray earnestly that inter-Korean relations may move from hostility toward peace. “God of life, who raises the dead, we give you thanks for the sound of flowing water beneath the frozen ground, telling us that spring is coming,” the prayer opens. “God, remember this land, the Korean Peninsula.” The prayer reflects that the armistice has become an unfinished war. “Dialogue has come to a halt, and military tension and the arms race continue to place this land on the brink of conflict,” reads the prayer. “Even as we speak of peace, we have deepened distrust and chosen confrontation.” The prayer expresses a longing to move toward the path of a peace treaty. “Let broken relationships be restored,” the text reads. “Let blocked paths be opened, so that exchange and cooperation may begin again.” The prayer also remembers those who suffer from war in our time.  “We cry out for lives being lost in the Middle East and in many places around the world,” the prayer reads. “May our prayers become a voice, our solidarity become action, and even our smallest acts become seeds of just peace.” Easter prayer for peace on the Korean Peninsula 2026 See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland