The South Korean Church has proclaimed an international Year of Prayer for North Korea in 2007 to celebrate the centenary year of the Pyongyang Great Revival.

|PIC1|The announcement was made at the Seoul Olympic Gymnastic Stadium before an audience of 15,000.

The proclamation states: "As we mark this centenary day of the outbreak of the 1907 Pyongyang Great Revival, we desire to see love, freedom and peace restored in Korea. We thus proclaim 2007 as a Year of Prayer for North Korea and call the global Church and Christians worldwide to join the South Korean Church in actively praying for North Korea this year."

The proclamation was made by Rev Choi Hee Boum, the Executive Secretary of the Christian Council of Korea, the representative Christian alliance of South Korea, and co-signed by the body's President, Rev Park Jong Soon.

The announcement came in the culmination of a week of meetings at the Olympic Stadium leading up to the revival centenary date.

A new website address was launched during the week as a vehicle for prayer for North Korea. The inter-agency site at www.pfnk.org carries information and resources to inform and equip Christians everywhere to pray for North Korea and its people.

The proclamation concludes with the words: "We hereby call on denominations and ministries around the world to promote the '2007 Year of Prayer for North Korea'. We urge for intercession to be rallied for 2007 to be the year in which the walls of darkness fall in North Korea, crosses are restored in every corner of the land and a historical tide of repentance and revival breaks out and brings peace to Korea and beyond."

The appeal for prayer reflects the grave concern that exists over the situation in North Korea in both spiritual and human terms.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide's International Advocate, Elizabeth Batha, spoke earlier at the Olympic Stadium Complex, highlighting the grave need for concerted worldwide prayer for North Korea: "The contrast between the spiritual climate in North Korea today and one hundred years ago could not be starker. That Pyongyang has moved from being a city known throughout the Christian world as 'the Jerusalem of the East' to now being the capital of probably the most brutal suppressor of Christianity is chilling.

"The population is subject to enforced idolatry of the political leadership, there is a ruthless ban on the gospel and Christians are brutally persecuted, imprisoned and executed. All these reasons make it imperative that the worldwide church recognises North Korea as a top prayer priority and stands in the gap to intercede for these most beleaguered of people."

Stuart Windsor, CSW's National Director, who also spoke at the Stadium Complex events said: "May God awaken the church and cause a tidal wave of prayer to arise, bringing down the walls of darkness and pouring His love and light into the nation, just as He did one hundred years ago. We hope that all Christian groups and individuals will respond to this call to pray."