S. Korea to host global ecumenical gathering in 2013

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has been chosen as the host of the next World Council of Churches (WCC) assembly in 2013, its committee said Tuesday.

The WCC assembly, first held in 1948, meets every seven years to discuss visions
for the ecumenical movement and seek unity among its worldwide fellowship.
The central committee of the Geneva-based council picked South Korea's Busan, a
large port city 453km south of Seoul, to host the event. Busan competed with
Damascus to hold the two-week gathering through a vote.
With an average of over 5,000 participants in the past gatherings, the National
Council of Churches of Korea (NCCK) said the 2013 assembly is estimated to bring
together the largest number of attendants from over 349 member churches.
Rev. Park Jong-wha of NCCK's organizing committee said North Korea would also be
invited.
"The churches (in Korea) are divided, and we yearn to come together," Park said.
South and North Korea remain technically in a state of war since the 1950-53
Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.