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December 2000
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
I send my love of Christ and wish you a very merry Christmas
from Korea.
As many of you know, I moved to Korea early this year as a mission
specialist with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). As a Korean
American woman, I am glad to be back in Korea to work with women
ministers who struggle to survive in the male-dominated society.
In traditional Korean society, women’s roles were confined
to the home. From a young age women were taught the virtues of
subordination and endurance to prepare for their future roles
as wife and mother. Women could not participate in society as
men did, and their role was limited to household matters.
When foreign missionaries arrived in Korea in the late 19th century,
the culture of Korean society was overwhelmingly influenced by
Confucianism and its patriarchal norms and values. The idea that
men were superior and women inferior helped to oppress women and
to keep them following the three norms: "A woman ought to
follow her father in her childhood, to follow her husband after
marriage and to follow her son in her old age." Women were
not recognized or treated as independent human beings, but as
the possessions of men. The situation has changed since then and
society is more open for women, but there is still a long way
to go before equality is reached between women and men.
The Women Ministers Association (WMA) of the Presbyterian Church
of Korea (PCK) has a membership of 1,400. In Korea, the welfare
of women ministers is not good. The PCK does not provide any retirement
plan for them, since women have only held temporary positions.
As a response to this, the WMA opened a rest home for retired
women ministers. Since the need is so great, a second building
is almost finished. The WMA also runs a shelter for runaway juveniles
to offer them an alternative to the world of prostitution into
which they could be drawn. Recently, following passage of the
Violence Against Women Act in 1998, the WMA opened a shelter for
victims of domestic violence.
The WMA also offers educational programs, ecumenical activities,
and helps women ministers and their churches throughout the 24
national regions. Since women’s ordination was allowed by
the PCK only in 1995, there are only 203 women ordained to the
ministry of word and sacrament among the 1,400 present members.
I have been very busy adjusting to my new work environment. During
my first year, I’ve tried to spend most of my time listening
and learning about what is going on in this society. Next year,
I plan to work with women ministers and with the victims of our
shelter for battered women.
This year is almost over, and it has been a wonderful year in
my life. I met many new people at the General Assembly of the
PCK, with the moderator delegates of PC(USA), at the presbytery
meetings with partnership presbyteries of the PC(USA), among the
many other groups of women’s organizations and more. But
for me, the most memorable event of the year was the summit meeting
between North and South Korea. Since I was born in Pyongyang and
my four brothers are in North Korea, it so touched my heart—and
I thank God for this—to be in Korea at this time as a witness
of the reconciliation between north and south.
I need your prayers for my ministry, and I want to say thanks
to all of you who support me.
Peace be with you on Christmas,
Sook Hee Bae
The 2001 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 181
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