Leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist world church united in prayer on Monday, October 9, in response to an apparent test of nuclear weapons by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, more widely known as North Korea.

The United States Geological Survey, which tracks seismic activity worldwide, reported that it had detected a 4.2 magnitude quake in North Korea. The North’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) claims the country had tested a nuclear device.

At the beginning of the morning session, Pastor Jan Paulsen, world Adventist church president, asked Dr. Jairyong Lee, president of the church’s Northern Asia-Pacific region, to discuss the emerging situation.

“This makes many people in our territory nervous and upset,” Dr. Lee said. “I called our Union president, [Pastor] Myung Kwan Hong ... and I asked about the situation there, and he said it is true, that we are in crisis now. Many people are in panic. In Korea we have about 200,000 church members. North Korea is very close to us, in fact it is 25 miles from our divisional office; in half an hour’s drive, you can see North Korean people.”

“From a human point of view there really is not much to do but pray,” Dr. Lee said, “But South Korea is the only Protestant Christian country in the region. We believe the Lord has a special plan for us.”  Lee said he had made several trips to the North Korean capital of Pyongyang to meet with government officials there. On these trips he said he spoke with these officials about having North Korean medical staff receive training from Adventist medical facilities. He said he hopes to make additional trips.

Lee asked for continuing prayer support from the world church. Pastor James Wu, president of the Adventist church in China, then prayed with the Annual Council delegates for the situation.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church has been established for more than 100 years in Korea, and its tertiary educational institution, Sahmyook University, is celebrating its centennial this year.