Dr. Paik Jang-hyun (Visiting Professor at Hanshin University,Steering Committee member at the Catholic Institute of Northeast Asia Peace -CINAP) On Oct. 29, just before the G20 Summit, Pope Francis met with Pres. Moon Jae-in and revealed that if he received an invitation from North Korea, he would “gladly go … for the sake of peace.” This built on his Oct. 2018 statement, “I will definitely answer if I get the invitation, and I can go.” Will his visit to North Korea become a reality? If it happens, what will be the ripple effects? President Moon Jae-in gifts a cross made from the wire fence of the DMZ to Pope Francis. (Oct. 30, 2021) Ⓒ Provided by the Korean Presidential Office to News 1 Firstly, a visit by the pope to North Korea would have a good potential to transform the Korean Peninsula’s diplomatic landscape. In 1991, the global Cold War ended with the fall of the Soviet Union, but the Korean Peninsula has not been able to extricate itself from the Cold War framework which pits the US, Japan and South Korea against China, Russia, and North Korea. The pope’s visit to North Korea could break this deadlock and could provide a starting place for the normalization of relations between North Korea and the United States. For a long time, since 1991, North Korea has aspired for normalization of relations with the US, in order to break out of diplomatic isolation and to restore its failed economy. Kim Jong Un explained that in order to make a country in which the people would “not tighten their belts again and enjoy the wealth and prosperity of socialism as much as they like,” key industries such as electrical power, machinery, and chemical industries would have to be established. Key industries are required to support agriculture, light industry, and construction, which are necessary to meet basic needs for food, clothing and housing. Without domestic capital, attracting foreign capital is inevitably needed, and thus North Korea has no choice but to normalize relations with the US. All the agencies which offer large-scale financial aid to developing countries, such as the IMF, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank, are heavily influenced by the USA. Photo 2: US Congress Ⓒ Kyunghyang Shinmun In such a situation, a visit by the pope to North Korea could play a decisive role to open the way for normalization of US-North Korea relations. Catholics make up as much as 25% of the US population and the pope is an influential global leader, so his message can cause movement in US public opinion. The influence of Pope Francis was substantiated by the normalization of relations between the US and Cuba after about 50 years of hostile relations. The foreign policies of successive popes are an exceptional case and have a good reputation for their influence behind-the-scenes. Moreover, Pres. Biden, who holds the key to the normalization of US-North Korean relations, is an Irish Catholic and has a strong relationship with Pope Francis, so Pope Francis is being looked to as a go-between. A visit by the pope to North Korea is expected to augment the opening of North Korea and to open a new horizon for Catholic ministry in North Korea. Within the Catholic Church, the pope is the highest leader, following in succession from the Apostle Peter, and he has a large influence on the believers. Also, the pope leads public opinion in the world at large by offering wisdom and solutions to all kinds of conflicts and important issues. If Pope Francis visits, then North Korea will become the focus of world news. Live TV would follow every move of Pope Francis and Kim Jong Un, and diverse aspects of North Korean society would be shared by the media with the outside world. Since Kim Jong Un took power, he has made every effort to raise North Korea to the status of a ‘normal’ country. Normalization of the party, the government, and the military were promoted, and the Workers’ Party’s official decision-making structure was restored. At the 8th Party Congress this past January, the ideology of “People First” was proclaimed, abolishing the abnormal “Military First Politics” of the Kim Jong Il era. North Korea is struggling to be recognized as a ‘normal’ country, and the pope’s visit would be an invigorating opportunity. Coupled with the opening of North Korea, Catholic ministry would also open a new horizon. As a representative of the Catholic church, the pope’s visit to North Korea would be an opportunity to request the assignment of a bishop to regularize the Pyongyang diocese. The stationing of priests in Pyongyang is necessary for the Sunday mass of foreigners living in Pyongyang, and North Korea has no reason to refuse. Catholic priests are stationed in other socialist countries like China, Vietnam and Cuba. In the whole world, North Korea is the only country to have no stationed priests. Also, the pope can request the restoration of churches and monasteries which existed in North Korea until liberation [from Japanese colonial rule]. Especially, Changchung catholic church in Pyongyang should be opened to be used for mass. The stationing of priests and the restoration of churches would be a first step towards opening new horizons for ministry in North Korea. Changchung catholic church in Pyongyang, during the visit of bishops of the Special Episcopal Committee for the Reconciliation of the Korean People of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea (Dec. 3, 2015) Pope Francis is a person with a vast interest and affection for the Korean Peninsula and the Korean people. He has long taken every opportunity to speak out for peace on the Korean Peninsula and for the reconciliation of the North and the South. I guess that his special interest in Korea may be due to the special stature that the Korean Peninsula occupies for its unique missions history of believers who came to the faith without priests. The role of Archbishop Lazarus You Heung-sik, Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy of the Roman Curia is attracting attention. He knows well the situation of North Korea and has many associations in the Vatican, so he is the best person for the role of mediator between the Vatican and North Korea. We must all pray sincerely that Pope Francis can visit North Korea. My heart already flutters with the thought of the changes that might happen if the pope visits North Korea next year. Changchung catholic church in Pyongyang
