Belonging in peace - A young adult reflects on her family and the Korean divide

Background:
July 27, 2023, marks the 70th anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement. While the agreement ended three years of armed conflict, the war continues to this day. Families remain divided by a sealed border between the North and South. Those who can remember a united Korea are dying off. Yujin Kim, a young adult living in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, reflects on how separation and longing are part of her family narrative, shaping her identity and motivating her to work for peace.
 
-> For me, my family, friends and church, the 70th anniversary of the Korean War could also be called the 70th anniversary of longing for peace on the Korean Peninsula.    
Many individuals and organizations have long worked for peace in response to the prolonged conflict. This includes MCC’s peace and development projects, and support for a formal end to the Korean War. From 1953–1971, MCC operated the Mennonite Vocational School in South Korea, providing access to education and humanitarian assistance. Since 1995, MCC has also responded to ongoing humanitarian needs in North Korea by providing things like canned meat, relief kits and agricultural supplies.  
Because of the pandemic, MCC’s humanitarian work in the North has had to pause. But MCC continues its advocacy efforts, calling for a formal end to the conflict on the Korean Peninsula. MCC also advocates for more people-to-people engagement, including reunification for separated families. <-
 
Read more at https://mcccanada.ca/stories/belonging-peace
 
MCC – Relief, development, and peace in the name of Christ