Sign-on Letter

March 23, 2001

President George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Bush,

As members of the faith community, we are writing to encourage you to take concrete steps toward peace on the Korean peninsula. As your administration reviews its policy toward North Korea, we strongly advocate for continued engagement, as laid out by former Defense Secretary William Perry. Such a process could lead toward normalization of US-DPRK relations and eventual Korean reunification.

Significant advances toward peace have been made in the past several years, most notably last June's historic summit between Chairman Kim Jong Il and President Kim Dae Jung. President Kim has made clear his commitment to the "sunshine policy," an approach that you reaffirmed during his visit to Washington earlier this month. North Korea?s response, while still relatively limited in scope, has been nonetheless remarkable after fifty years of enmity. A number of nations, including Canada and some of our European and Asian allies, have already established full diplomatic relations with the DPRK.

We urge you to seize this historic opportunity to end the last remaining conflict of the Cold War era. The military confrontation on the Korean peninsula can best be eased through a negotiated, monitored de-escalation on both sides of the DMZ. North Korea has shown that reductions of tension are also in its interests. Patient, small gestures of goodwill will allow North Korea the political space necessary to respond in kind. These steps could include removal of the DPRK from the State Department?s list of terrorist nations, more frequent high-level meetings, changes in the U.S.?s landmine policy, or increased humanitarian assistance, among other possibilities.

By contrast, unilateral moves toward a missile defense system, disregard for the 1994 Agreed Framework or an unwillingness to negotiate on missile concerns will reverse painstakingly incremental gains, furthering tension and insecurity on all sides. If your administration chooses to pursue the path of diplomacy, you stand an excellent chance of reaching a comprehensive agreement that would render missile defense unnecessary, saving American taxpayers billions and creating an unprecedented degree of security in Northeast Asia.

As citizens and members of faith communities, we believe that we can also play a role in achieving reconciliation and peace. The churches of both North and South Korea have been instrumental in working toward peace and reunification between the two nations. For nearly twenty years, dialogues and consultations have been taking place that have brought Korean Christians from both sides of the border together. U.S. churches, particularly those with significant Korean-American membership, have been active in promoting this dialogue, as well as the critical issue of family reunification. Faith-based groups have also taken the lead in providing humanitarian assistance to victims of famine in North Korea, with demonstrated success in improved nutrition as well as more direct access to all areas of the country.

As the Seoul-based National Council of Churches in Korea has stated, "the way to realize a peaceful order in today?s world is to guarantee the security and peace of North Korea, in its relatively difficult position, to cooperate in economic development, and to help North Korea develop amicable relations with other countries without isolating itself from today?s changed world order."

We recognize that many problems persist in working with the North Korean government. Yet the consequences for failing to do so are even greater, as North Korea will see little incentive to cease missile production or aggressive military posturing. By contrast, a careful and consistent approach to diplomacy with the DPRK will continue to lead toward long-lasting peace on the peninsula.

Sincerely,

David Radcliff
Director, Brethren Witness
Church of the Brethren General Board

Rev. Michael J. Dodd
Director
Columban Fathers Justice and Peace Office

Martin Garate
Associate General Secretary for International Programs
American Friends Service Committee

Howard W. Hallman
Chair
Methodists United for Peace with Justice

Murray Polner
Chair
Jewish Peace Fellowship

Ken Sehested
Executive Director
Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America

Betsy Headrick McCrae
Program Director for East Asia
Mennonite Central Committee

Sang Jin Choi
Director
Action for Peace through Prayer & Aid

Rev. Peter Ruggere
Maryknoll Office of Global Concerns

Gary Baldridge
Co-coordinator, Global Missions
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

Edward W. Stowe
Legislative Secretary
Friends Committee on National Legislation

Asaph Young Chun
President and Founding Chairman
Institute for Strategic Reconciliation, Inc.

Syngman Rhee
President, Presbyterian Churches of USA
Former President, National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA
Chair, International Board of Trustees, Institute for Strategic Reconciliation,
Inc.

Inhwa Sohn
President, National Council of Korean Presbyterian Churches of America
Chair, U.S. Board of Trustees, Institute for Strategic Reconciliation, Inc.

Joel J. Heim
Moderator
Disciples Peace Fellowship

Janet Chisholm and Richard Deats
Interim Co-Executive Directors
Fellowship of Reconciliation

Sae Kim
Former President
Korean-American Cultural Center

Sae Park
Treasurer
Korean-American Cultural Center

Bishop C. Dale White
United Methodist Bishop

Juliane Min
Centreville, Virginia