wfn.org | NCCCUSA AID, TEAM VISIT TO NORTH KOREA -- UPDATED/CORRECTED

[CAROL_FOUKE.parti@ecunet.org]

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.
CONTACT:  Betty Thompson, 212/870-2048

NCC01/10/97
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CWS COORDINATES FOOD AID IN NORTH KOREA;
ISSUES NEW 1997 APPEAL FOR $500,000 AND SENDS TEAM

NEW YORK, N.Y., Jan. 10 ---- A new appeal for
$500,000 has been issued by Church World Service,
the humanitarian assistance arm of the National
Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., to
alleviate the food crisis in North Korea.

CWS appeals in 1995-96 collected $410,932 for
aid for North Korea, which was used to purchase
rice, antibiotics, beef, blankets, hospital supplies
and rehydration tablets.

Most recently, Church World Service sent nearly
670 tons of rice from Bangkok, Thailand, Dec. 19.
A 10-member team headed by the Council's President,
United Methodist Bishop Melvin G. Talbert, will
visit North Korea Jan. 21-28 to see the start of the
distribution of the rice shipment.

CWS will be the implementing partner for an
international ecumenical effort of ACT, an
international coalition of churches acting together.
This humanitarian relief program calls for shipments
of rice, maize, wheat seed, and plastic sheeting.

CWS will represent the ACT network in
relationship to the World Food Program.  Erich H.
Weingartner, North Bay, Ontario, a Lutheran with two
decades of ecumenical experience, will be the
international officer coordinating with the World
Food Program in Pyongyang, North Korea.  He will
coordinate material aid distribution on behalf of an
international coalition of non-governmental
organizations.

The food shortage stems from food production
problems compounded by severe flooding in 1994 and
1995 which caused crop devastation, according to
Victor W.C. Hsu, director of the Council's East Asia
and Pacific office.

The 1996 harvest and grain reserves in the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) will
last only for seven months so international aid is
necessary.  Because of foreign exchange problems,
debt and limited access to credit, the nation's
capacity to acquire food commercially is hampered.

Besides Bishop Talbert, the National Council of
Churches delegation that will visit North Korea
includes the Rev. Dr. Rodney I. Page, Deputy General
Secretary of the NCCC and Executive Director of
Church World Service and Witness, and a minister in
the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); and the
CWSW Unit Committee Chairperson, the Rev. Dr. Will
L. Herzfeld, Director for Global Community and
Overseas Operations of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America, Chicago.

Other team members are: Victor W.C. Hsu,
Director of the East Asia and Pacific Office, and a
member of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.); Rev.
Melvin H. Luetchens, Director of the CWS Community
Education and Fund Raising Program, Elkhart, Ind., a
United Methodist; Rev. Syngman Rhee, Louisville,
Ky., Associate Director of Ecumenical Partners in
the Worldwide Ministries Division, Presbyterian
Church (U.S.A.), a former NCC President; Dr. Insik
Kim, Coordinator for East Asia, Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.); Rev. Daniel Owen Rift, Associate Director
for Worldwide Ministries, Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.); Dr. Ching-fen Hsiao, Asia Pacific
Executive Secretary for the United Church of
Christ/Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); and
Rev. Linda Petrucelli, Secretary for Global Sharing
of Resources, United Church of Christ.

The team will be guests of the Korean
Christians Federation and the Flood Damage
Rehabilitation Committee.

The first NCC delegation to North Korea took
place in 1986.  The Korean Christians Federation
visited the NCC in 1989 and met with representatives
of its counterpart in the South, the National
Christian Council of Korea.  In 1992 a NCC
delegation visited the Korean Christians Federation
and was received by then President Kim Il Sung.

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