한국 교회와 국내 난민 선교

Abstract

Amid the worldwide large-scale displacement of refugees, refugee pop- ulation in Korea also continues growing rapidly due to the Refugee Act established on February 10, 2012 and enforced on July 1, 2013. The number of refugee status applicants shows a tendency of increasing sharply every year: 1574 in 2013, 2898 in 2014, 5711 in 2015, 7542 in 2016, and 9942 in 2017. On May 31, 2018, a Yonhap News Agency’s news article reported that the number of refugee status applicants in Korea was greatly increasing during this year, exceeding half the total number of last year’s applicants in only a 4-month period; and that many refugees who had preferred Europe were now rushing into Korea. In addition, on June 6, 2018, its another news article described about the Yemeni refugees flocking to Jeju island by taking advantage of ‘visa-free entry,’ numbering more than 500 in this year alone, and urged the government to prepare proper measures concern- ing refugee status applicants Thus not only in Europe but now in Korea also refugees are emerging as a big issue, and so there is an increasing concern about them. In such a situation of Korea, how much attention do Korean churches pay to refugees, and what measures do they take concerning refugee issue?Clause 1 of the Cape Town Commitment emphasizes churches’ social re- sponsibility in gospel preaching, stating: “All our mission must therefore reflect the integration of evangelism and committed engagement in the world.” Accordingly, it is considered important for Korean churches not to avoid their responsibilities by cognizing refugee issue simply as a social issue, but to cognize their responsibilities from a missional perspective. The result of a questionnaire survey on refugee cognition revealed that Korean Christians, in general, lacked in the concept and cognition of refugee and had a very low interest in refugee mission. In addition, although they gave humanitarian opinions that churches had to provide loving care and practical help for refugees from a perspective of humanitarian protection of human rights, yet their cognition of refugees as an opportunity for gospel preaching and as a missional calling was of a low level. Nevertheless, it is clear that God has a salvation plan for refugees, wanting them ultimately to recover true identity as the subjects of the kingdom of God. Refugee issue in Korea would certainly need considerations on the aspects of legal, economic and social systems at a national level. On the other hand, understanding the missional aspect of the issue from a macro- scopic perspective of the kingdom of God could give an insight into God’s providence toward Korean churches. The author wishes that Korean church- es and Christians will be used by God as a precious instrument for refugee mission ministry, a focus of God’s mercy and love, to further expand the kingdom of God.