At 9:05 a.m. local time on June 12, 2018, US President Donald Trump shook hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Their historic handshake was hailed as "a handshake of the century".
They signed a joint agreement that mutual confidence building can promote the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the two nations will commit to establishing new U.S.-DPRK relations in accordance with the desire of the peoples of the two countries for peace and prosperity.
The agreement stated, "The United States and the DPRK will join their efforts to build a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula."
Earnest expectation and desires of peace in North Korea can be shown in the statement, just as the Bible said, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."
For centuries, Christians in North Korea experience grief, separation, persecution, and shed tears, and many even lose their lives because of their faith. Since 2003, North Korea ranks the worst country to be a Christian on the World Watch List of the global persecution watchdog Open Doors.
For decades, Christians on the Korean Peninsula pray for peace in the peninsula and the unification of nationalities. So some Christians said that the Panmunjom Declaration adopted last April was more than a diplomatic success. It was God's response to decades' prayer.
Yesterday, a comment from a Chinese Christian said, "Lord, have compassion on North Korea because of the major issue. I believe that the event occurred because the Lord heard the prayer made by North Korea Christians."
"We, as Christians living in the neighboring country, want to spread out our hands in the prayer to the Lord:
May peace and justice fall on the thirsty land.
Meanwhile, we pray that the place where churches flourished be filled with God's grace and mercy - Pyongyang was renowned as the 'Jerusalem of the East.'"
- Translated by Karen Luo
