Dr Oh Jae Shik, an ecumenical peace activist from South Korea was remembered by the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary as “friend of the weak and marginalised”.
Oh passed away on January 3 in South Korea, at the age of 80.
A former WCC staff member, Oh worked as director of the Commission of the Churches’ Participation in Development from 1988 to 1993. He was a member of several peace and justice movements in Asia, and was known as a human rights activist committed to inter-Korean reconciliation and humanitarian aid.
In his condolence message, the WCC general secretary the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit acknowledged Oh’s work for justice in countries faced with challenges of poverty.
“His commitment and love for the people he served during his years at the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), the WCC and the numerous organisations he sponsored in Korea are a source of inspiration for those who seek to carry on the work of loving one’s neighbour with tenderness and walking humbly with the Lord,” said Tveit.
Oh served at the Social Education Institute of the Korea Christian Academy in Seoul, World Vision, Korea Student Christian Federation and Urban Rural Mission programme of the CCA. He also worked with the Young Men’s Christian Association and the National Council of Churches in Korea.
Read full text of WCC general secretary’s condolence message
