Peacemaking Travel Study Seminar-The Conflict in Korea

November 5-17, 2018

The Conflict in Korea: History, Hopes, and Challenges for Peace

Description

The Republic of Korea (South) is filled majestic mountain ranges, plentiful rice fields, and a population of 50 million people. Many technological advances have brought Korea alongside many top economies in the world, but a continuous state of war casts a dark shadow over economic development. The Korean War began in 1950, and an armistice brought a ceasefire in 1953, but no peace treaty has brought an end to the war itself. Meet Korean peacemakers like our partners in the National Council of Churches in Korea seeking to build on the opportunity of the Olympic Truce of 2018 and decades of peacemaking work such as connecting to Christians in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK North) and what they might teach us about the nature of the conflict.

Many US Americans are familiar with the Korean War breaking out in 1950, but what do we know about the years that led up to the war when the US occupied the southern zone from 1945 and what happened in those five years? In what ways might US missionaries have played a role, and what is their legacy in relation to the conflict? Our trip will seek to fill in some of these holes in our collective knowledge through visits to sites like the 4.3 Peace Park that tells a story of an incident on Jeju Island that occurred in 1948. A better understanding of the context of the conflict should leave us better equipped to participate in a resolution. We will meet peacemakers all over the country including one who has set up a Border Peace School right on the DMZ border with the DPRK in the North, a site that will soon become a volunteer site of the PC(USA) Young Adult Volunteer Program. What might our role be in reconciliation of the conflict as US Christians and US citizens? We will also learn more about the culture of Korea, its beauty, and its nature hiking up the side of volcanic craters and strolling through folk village museums that recreate pre-World War II Korea. This seminar will create a community learning experience giving space for participants to connect personally to the issues and tie them back to our lives in the US.

View the Korean Seminar Flyer

View the Proposed Schedule

Accommodations
The seminar will last 11 days, including 2 nights on Jeju Island, 1 night at No Gun Ri, and the rest of the stay in Seoul. Participants will be away for one Sunday unless they choose to extend their stay on their own following the Travel Study Seminar. Accommodations are double-occupancy. Some single-occupancy rooms may be available for an additional charge.

Application Due Date
Applications are due by July 1, 2018. After that date, applications will be considered as space remains available.

Cost
The seminar cost is $2,295. Cost is per person, double occupancy and includes all seminar expenses (including all meals, accommodations, programs, tips, tours and in-country transportation. International airline travel from the U.S. is not included.

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For more information
A sample itinerary and online application form are available on the Peacemaking Program’s Travel Study Seminar webpage or by calling 888-728-7228 x 5805.

November 5-17, 2018

The Conflict in Korea: History, Hopes, and Challenges for Peace

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