Christian lawmakers from both South Korea’s ruling and opposition parties joined church leaders Wednesday (Oct. 1) in a bipartisan prayer service at the National Assembly, calling for cooperation over conflict and praying for peace on the Korean Peninsula.
The October regular worship service of the National Assembly Prayer Breakfast was held Oct. 1 in the members’ office building in Yeouido, Seoul. Participants prayed for the nation, its citizens and reconciliation amid ongoing political division, according to reporting by Christian Daily Korea.
Preaching at the service, the Rev. Jeong Hoon of the Presbyterian Church of Korea (Tonghap) and pastor of Yocheon Church, cited Matthew 5:9. “Christians must live as peacemakers,” he said, urging the church to be a trusted community and lawmakers to embrace mediation and cooperation instead of confrontation. “The path to winning the people’s trust is ultimately to follow God’s will,” he added.
The service was led by Rep. Park Kyun-taek of the Democratic Party, who serves as secretary of the National Assembly Prayer Breakfast. Rep. Cho Bae-sook of the People Power Party offered the main prayer. Special prayers were given by Rep. Choi Hyung-du of the People Power Party for “peace on the Korean Peninsula and the world” and Rep. Seo Mi-hwa of the Democratic Party for “national unity and reconciliation.”
Rep. Kang Kyung-sook of the Rebuilding Korea Party led the intercessory prayer, followed by music from the National Assembly Prayer Breakfast choir and a benediction from Jeong, closing the first part of the service.
In the second session, co-chairs Rep. Song Ki-heon of the Democratic Party and Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun of the People Power Party expressed their hope that the prayer breakfast would “serve as a channel to realize God’s love and justice beyond party lines.”
Marking its 60th anniversary this year, the National Assembly Prayer Breakfast was first established in 1965. The Rev. Jang Hun-il of New Life Tree Church, an advisory committee member, said he hoped the gathering would continue “to lift up the fragrance of prayer for the nation and the Assembly.”
