Cardinal urges NK to improve human rights

‘4-river project is not a matter of belief’

By Shim Jae-yun

Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk has called on North Korea to take measures to improve the human rights and living conditions of its people.

“North Korea is restricting freedom and truth while failing to provide the people with rights to live humanly without worrying about survival,” Cheong said in an exclusive New Year interview with The Korea Times.

He urged North Korean leaders to exert efforts to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula and make its people happier.

He was referring to two attacks by North Korea — the sinking of the frigate Cheonan and the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island in the West Sea.

His remarks drew particular attention as military tensions on the peninsula mounted last year due to the North’s provocative acts that triggered anti-Pyongyang sentiment among South Koreans.

He expressed deep condolences for the victims and their bereaved families; the Cheonan disaster claimed the lives of 46 sailors and the Yeonpyeong shelling left four, including two civilians, dead.

Cheong, 80, said he maintains a neutral stance on the four-river revamping project, apparently wary of the brewing dispute with a group of activist priests belonging to the Catholic Priests’ Association for Justice (CPAJ).

The progressive priests criticized the cardinal for supporting the project cherished by the Lee Myung-bak government and urged him to quit as the archbishop of the Seoul Archdiocese, which plunged the Catholic circles into a feud.

“I did not express yes or no for the project. I only attempted to make clear my stance in order to prevent any misunderstanding in translating the statement of archbishops, who had earlier revealed concerns about the project.” The statement was interpreted by many as meaning that Korean Catholicism opposes the four-river project, which caused a number of Catholics to feel a sense of guilt if they backed the project in defiance of the archbishops’ decision, he said.

“As a priest, I only wanted to give the believers freedom of conscience. The river project is not a matter of belief. It is an issue to be determined at the level of self-reliance regardless of any stance on the project.” He stopped short of denouncing the CPAJ members but there has been growing criticism of them with regard to their excessive demand for the cardinal to retire.

A group of senior priests in support of Cardinal Cheong planned to call a meeting to oppose the CPAJ members, but the meeting was cancelled at the cardinal’s request for a peaceful settlement of the conflict with reconciliation through dialogue.

Cardinal Cheong emphasized the importance of the harmonious existence of all people regardless of religious differences, citing the need for a global community through the Christmas message.

“I have recently heard that leaders of seven different religions have been on a pilgrimage of holy sites of other religions, which is a good sign for the peaceful co-existence of religions.

Such a practice in Korea should set a good example for the entire world,” he said.

정진석 추기경 북한 인권 개선 촉구

정진석 추기경은 북한에 대해 인권을 향상시키고 국민들의 삶을 개선시킬 것을 촉구했다.

“북한은 국민들에게 생존에 대한 걱정 없이 인간답게 살 권리를 주지 않으면서 또한 자유와 진실을 제한하고 있다”고 정 추기경은 코리아 타임스와의 인터뷰에서 밝혔다.

정추기경은 북한 지도자들에게 한반도에서의 평화를 증진시키고 국민들을 더 행복하게 살도록 해야 할 것이라고 서해에서의 천안함 사건과 연평도 포격에 대해 우려를 표시하면서 이같이 촉구했다.

정추기경은 북한의 도발 행위 후 남쪽에서의 반 북한 감정으로 한반도 긴장이 고조되는 가운데 이같이 말했다.

올해로 80세인 정 추기경은 4대강 사업을 둘러싼 정의사제구현단 신부들과의 불화와 관련 자신은 이 문제에 대해 중립을 유지하고 있다고 말했다.

“나는 4대강 사업에 대해 ‘예, 아니오’를 표시 한적이 없습니다. 나는 단지 일찍이 4대강 사업에 대해 우려를 표명한 주교들의 성명을 해석하는데 어떠한 오해도 방지하기 위해 내 입장을 명확히 했을 뿐입니다,” 고 정추기경은 강조했다.