Korea is the only country in the world which, more than ten years after the fall of the Berlin wall, remains divided by political-economic ideology and is still technically at war. Fullness of life has always been regarded by the Korean people as an unreachable ideal, something far removed from them and their lives. In recent years, however, democracy, people's movements and the active growth of grassroots nongovernmental organizations have helped the Korean people to gain a wider and more objective perspective on their situation. This crucial time of transition and change is an opportunity for the church to contribute to new ways of thinking and methods of action by the Korean people to promote the fullness of life for all that God gives through Jesus Christ.

At the invitation of our Korean member churches, the Northeast Asia area council met in Seoul and Wonju in Kangwon Do at the end of October. Those attending represented the Presbyterian Church of Korea, the Presbyterian Church of Korea (Daeshin), the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea, the Church of Christ in Japan, the Korean Church of Christ in Japan, and the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan. Reflecting on the theme of the upcoming general council in Accra, "That All may have Life in Fullness", we shared the particular needs, problems, and challenges of our area.

Dr Lee Hyung-Ki (Presbyterian College and Theological Seminary, Seoul) delivered a keynote speech on the significance of the fullness of life in the light of the transition from modernism to postmodernism. Rev Sawa Masahiko (moderator of Church of Christ in Japan) spoke on the political dimension of the fullness of life out of the Japanese experience of the uprising nationalism as a counter-movement to the accelerating process of globalization. Dr Lin (Presbyterian Church in Taiwan) used local case studies to argue for a distorted relation between economy and ecology that needs to be redressed. Dr Jeong Mi-Hyun enlightened us to recognize the significance of the feminist perspective when we deal with life in fullness in an ecclesio-spiritual context.

The vision of the northeast Asia area is to contextualize the spirit of Alliance in the area by enhancing local initiative. To further this goal, we need an outreach beyond our programmes, and therefore we have held annual meetings, hosted in turn by the member churches, since our founding meeting in Seoul in 1995. Through these annual meetings we have affirmed that the member churches in this region should be united in promoting life and witnessing to the gospel beyond our national boundaries.

Now we want to deepen and to broaden our vision. We have reached a consensus that such promotion of life cannot be fully achieved from the general assembly level. Each church needs to take the bold step to ensure that the "idea" of promoting fullness of life becomes a "reality" by strengthening and empowering the local presbyteries and churches to carry forward this programme at the level of ministry and witness that is most closely related to the daily lives of the people.

And the area council also has the dream of becoming the nucleus of a wider regional fellowship in Asia. As a small but concrete step in this direction, it is our practice to invite neighbouring member churches of the Alliance to our annual meetings. This year we invited Mrs Margaretha Hendriks to share with us the sufferings of the people and the churches in Indonesia.

The current officers of the northeast Asia area are: moderator, Rev Kang Yong-Kyu (PROK); vice-moderators, Rev Huang Po-Ho (PCT), Rev Akira Miyoshi (CCJ), and Rev Kim Hye-Sook (PCK); treasurer, Park Jong-Keun (PCK Daeshin); and secretary, Dr Yim Sung-Bihn (PCK). Rev Son Dal-Ik (PCK) and Rev Kim Sung-Jae (KCCJ) are also members of the administrative committee.

Yim Sung Bihn