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.