Soon after the outbreak of the Korean War in June, 1950, the Korea National Christian Council cabled to the International Missionary Council asking for an immediate help from the United States. In two weeks, the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches approved of the police action of the United Nations. The Protestant churches in Europe and the United States fully supported the United Nations, which branded North Korea as the invader.

This lecture explores how and why the Anglo-American churches, their missionaries, and the Korean churches supported the South Korean government, the United States, and the UN during the Korean War. Due to the pro-American stance of the Christian churches, the Communist regime of North Korea regarded Christianity as an anti-patriotic religion. Because of this belief, the North Korean regime intensified its anti-religious campaigns, and tried to wipe out Christians in the post-bellum period.

Dr. Kim Heung Soo: professor of Korean Church History at Mokwon University, Daejeon, Korea. He also serves as director of Institute for Korean Church History, Seoul; director of Daejeon YMCA. He got his Ph. D. from Seoul National University in religious studies and authored many books including The Korean War and the Expansion of Prosperity Faith (1999). 

Open to the public. Lunch will be provided.

Cost : Free