Korean Christian Group, 'Jerusalem 2004' undecided on protest

A Protestant Christian group is planning to hold a march - "Jerusalem 2004" in Jerusalem and parts of Palestine from 7th-11th August. Promoters said that the aim of the event is to pray for peace in Jerusalem, which is the sacred place for the Jews, Christians and Muslims.

Around 3,000 Christians are anticipated to participate in the march which includes 2,800 Korean Christians from 800 churches and 200 Korean-American believers. However, the government requested that the event be put on hold due to security problems.

The group plans to have a peace march of 5km from Jerusalem to parts of Palestine while carrying out various cultural programs. A similar event was held by one of the promoting groups, InterCP, in July 2000, in Alma Ata of Kazakhstan.

However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Union of Korean Missionaries of Israel have clearly expressed their objection to the march. The Ministry said, "This event could possibly provoke Middle Eastern nations and therefore we asked those concerned to reconsider the event."

In addition, the Korean Missionaries Union announced a statement called, "Our Point of View", saying the "Middle East is facing radical changes because of the killing of the leader of Hamas by Israeli soldiers and the decision to send Korean troops to Iraq."

The tragedy of the Korean hostage, Kim Sun-il, who was beheaded in Iraq few weeks ago, is a main concern resulting in the government's request.

The promoters had a meeting on Thursday evening to consider the possibility of the event, but a conclusion has not yet been reached. It is expected that the final schedule will be announced on Friday.