New Korean archbishop for dialogue with the North and the defence of life

(May 14, 2012) The new archbishop of Seoul, South Korea is committed to dialogue with North Korea and is in the forefront of the battle against secularization of society. According to Fr. Luke Kim, a priest of the archdiocese, "dialogue with North Korea but especially the defence of life in an increasingly secular society" are the challenges facing Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Yeom Soo-jung of Seoul, whom Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday nominated as archbishop. He succeeds Cardinal Nicolas Cheung Jin-suk who has retired. Fr. Kim told AsiaNews agency that now the new archbishop will have to address those issues that have always been uppermost in the thoughts of the Korean Church: how to respond to the secularization of our society and how to live with the North. Bishop Yeom is in fact also Apostolic Administrator of Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. Fr. Kim said that Seoul’s new archbishop has always been engaged in the battle in favour of bioethics and dialogue with the North. Since his appointment as Auxiliary Bishop he has served as President of the Episcopal Commission for Life, an organ of the Korean Bishops' Conference, which deals with issues related to genetic manipulation, a hot topic in South Korea. He also served as President of the Commission for the reconciliation of the Korean people of the archdiocese. During his work at the Commission he has always favoured dialogue and, in 2002, sent a letter to the president of North Korea's Catholic Association Samuel Jang Jae-eun asking for prayer for the reconciliation and unity of the peninsula. Seoul Archdiocese plans to install its new Archbishop June 25th.