"Why do we need to pray? Because the people in North Korea are still starving to death and suffering pain. We cannot lose our compassionate heart toward them when they have been in this suffering for 70 years."
This is the passionate response of Reverend Peter I. Sohn, the president of Korean Church Coalition for North Korea Freedom, a Korean non-profit organization that has been actively advocating for the human rights of the North Korean people, and hosting various prayer and advocacy meetings and conferences since its founding in 2004. One of the meetings the coalition hosts on a regular basis is the "Wailing Prayer Meetings," which is hosted in partnership with Until the Day (UTD) Mission for North Korea Freedom, and has been taking place for over 10 years in various locations throughout the U.S.
This year's Wailing Prayer Meeting in Los Angeles will take place on October 4 at 4 PM at Glory Church of Jesus Christ, and it will be the last prayer meeting of this year, following previous ones that took place in Dallas, Detroit, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Denver. North Korean refugees will share their testimonies at the event.
"We've seen many positive changes over the years as we held these Wailing Prayer Meetings," said Reverend Paul I. Kim, the senior pastor of West Hills Presbyterian Church. "In 2004, for example, we had a Wailing Prayer Meeting that was attended mostly only by pastors. And it's a prayer meeting that I will never forget. We prayed with so many tears for the North Korean people. And it was that year that the U.S. passed the North Korean Human Rights Act."
The North Korean Child Welfare Act of 2012 is another U.S. law that was recently passed that the organizers view as hopeful signs of progress.
"We're expectant of the fruits that our prayers this year will bear for the near future," said Sohn.
This year's series of Wailing Prayer Meetings has especially been emphasized by organizers due to the fact that August 15, 2015 marks the beginning of 70th year since the division in Korea began. Korean Christians all over the world have been emphasizing this year in particular for Korean reunification, saying that the Israelites in the Bible were able to return to Jerusalem after 70 years of exile in Babylon.
"We know that our God is one who can make reunification happen even now," Sohn said. "We want to pray that this year would be the year that reunification happens, and we will keep praying until it does."
Sohn added that while the U.S. has given more and more attention to the cause of the North Korean people through the passing of the aforementioned laws, South Korea has yet to pass any such laws, "nor do they currently show any willingness to do so." He said this is one of the practical aspects that he hopes to see coming to pass this year.
Ultimately, however, though these kinds of policies would help the North Korean people, Sohn said that "reunification is impossible by human's efforts or thoughts," and that reunification "will only happen by prayer."
"It's overwhelming for us to consider all of the different political, economic factors that must come into play," said Reverend Hee Min Park, the former lead pastor of Young Nak Presbyterian Church. "That's why we need to pray and simply ask God to move."
