The evangelization of North Korean refugees could be a stepping stone to spreading the Good News across the communist state in the event reunification takes place in the future, a symposium was told yesterday.

At present, evangelization in the North is impossible, but the Church is hoping that will change in the not too distant future.

To this end participants at the symposium in Seoul were encouraged to conduct mission work among North Korean refugees in South Korea.

The Church can have “indirect interaction” with North Korea and prepare for future work in the North through the refugees, said Father Norbert Cha Dong-yeob, director of the Future Pastoral Institute, which organized the event.

Sister Stella Lim Sun-yun, director of the Center for North Korean Refugees in Incheon diocese, suggested introducing refugees to the Church through a trial catechism or Bible study program.

This could be a way of testing the waters better when and if reunification does take place, she said.

James Nam Dong-jin, vice-president of Incheon diocese’s Korea Reconciliation Committee, however, says his committee has already introduced several evangelization projects aimed at North Korean refugees.

He said that he and 15 parishioners have formed a group with several refugees and organize monthly prayer meetings and other activities.

Nam also told the symposium that once a year, they invite around 100 refugees to a home-stay program.

According to him, three North Korean refugees in Incheon diocese have already undergone missioner formation.

North Korea, with a Catholic church in Pyongyang, insists it has some 3,000 Catholics but no residing priest or nuns.

The South Korean Church prohibits its priests from visiting the communist state to say Mass because it does not believe there are really Catholics there.