President of the Korea Religions Association, Ryu Kyeong Seuk: “Reform it as a Representative Organization.”
“ I will contribute to the unification of South and North, and world peace by encouraging harmony in religions.”
This is a part of the inaugural address by Rev. Ryu Kyeong Seuk, 50, the president of the Korea Religions Association (WKRA).
Rev. Ryu Kyeong Seuk, the president of Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, Korea, had been chosen as the 20th president of WKRA.
The inauguration ceremony was held at 3 p.m. on January 20, 2014 at the Tongil building in Cheong pa dong, Seoul, with religious leaders and approximately 200 members of WKRA in attendance. Chairman Shin Man Jeong, from the Korean Muslim Federation, gave a congratulatory address and the new president, Rev. Ryu Kyeong Seuk, delivered an inauguration speech.
At the inauguration ceremony, the new president, Rev. Ryu said, “WKRA was launched to prevent the conflicts between religions based on the mutual corporation and understanding, and contribute to the settlement of world peace by finding the common grounds among religions, societies and nations.”
The Korea Religions Association (WKRA), the first religious consultative corporation in Korea, has led interreligious movements for 48 years since its establishment.
He emphasized the importance of WKRA, saying, “Almost all representative religions in Korea -- Buddhism, Confucian, Won Buddhism, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, Cheondogyo, the Episcopal Church, Daejonggyo, Islam, Cholliky and the Family Federation--registered to achieve the shared goal and initiated activities at home and abroad to encourage mutual understanding.”
Introducing shared-representative system, the WKRA will develop as a solid religious association by preparing for the new unification era and enhancing international solidarity.
“With the essences of religions-- humbleness and service, I will dedicate myself for the development of the WKRA so that it becomes the major Korean religious organization and strive for world peace and unification of South and North Korea,” President Ryu said with strong determination.
The Chairman of Korean Muslim Foundation, Shin Man Jeong, said, “Having the solid dedicated base of the WKRA, we should construct a building of religious reconciliation together with President Ryu. We will all move forward to achieve the harmony and peace in the religious fields, and make a building of love where everyone can rest.”
Former executive chief of the Korean Buddhist Taego, In Gong, said, “WKRA- celebrating the 50th year anniversary next year - are the only non-governmental religious organizations in the world, which were able to sustain continuously to achieve spiritual harmonization. The WKRA has sustained till today because of Rev. Moon’s great support. All people who follow his will should gather together to bear good fruit from now on. In order to achieve world peace, we need to acknowledge the value of each religion and initiate the dialogue. For the religious reconciliation and unification, I truly hope that Buddha will guide through Rev. Ryu in the future.”
WKRA --founded in December, 1965-- was the first interreligious movement association formed with six religions as their consultative body; Buddhism, Confucianism, Won Buddhism, Cheondogyo, Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. Starting with the first president, Lee Nung Ga from the Korean Buddhist Jogye order, the following several representatives had served as a president: Archbishop No Ki Nam from the Catholic Church, Rev. Cheo Dok Shin from Cheondogyo, Rev. Kang Won Ryeong from Protestantism and Rev. Lee Jae Seok from the Unification Church.
The WKRA was founded on the purpose of searching for common grounds among religious people in Korea, as well as contributing to social integration and national harmonization through reconciliation and coexistence among religions.
More than 15 religious organizations are registered in the WKRA, including Korean Buddhism Taego, the International Council of Christian Churches, Korea Islam, Korean Buddhism Beop Hwa Jeong, Dae Han Cheonli-gyo, Daejong-gyo and the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. The WKRA has been holding interreligious activities, including exchange visits of other religions, religious leaders’ invitation seminars, Korea and Japan religious exchanges and conferences with global believers.
The WKRA participated in the Asian Conference of Religious for Peace in Singapore as a Korean representative organization in 1976 and conference in New Delhi, India in 1981. It was also officially registered in the Fourth World Conference on Religion and Peace Assembly, in August, 1984, in Nairobi, Kenya, to encourage dialogue among the global spiritual representatives.
The organization had especially selected the Tokyo declaration for the victims of World War II and the opening of North Korea in the conference with Korean and Japanese religious leaders on May 8, 1990. It constantly promotes open conversation within religious fields by holding interreligious activities, such as the 20th anniversary assembly of Korean and Japanese religious leaders’ exchange.
In this inauguration ceremony, approximately 200 members participated, including Shin Man Jeong, chairman of the Korean Muslim Foundation, In Gong, former executive chief of the Korean Buddhist Taego, Rev. Lee Gi Cheol from International Council of Christian Churches, Seon Jin Soon, president of the Korean Religions Women Association, Dr. Yang Chang Shik, international president of the Universal Peace Federation, Seol Yong Soo, president of Unification Korea Federation, Dr. Moon Nan Yeong, the president of Women’s Federation for World Peace International and President Yoo Kyeong Dook from the Youth Federation for World Peace.