Rev. AHN Jae Woong

“Today, more than ever before, peacemaking or peacebuilding is God`s ordained tasks of the major religious communities. Faith-based communities are deeply involved in peacebuilding efforts, and the religions of the world teach us about peace. Profound salutations like Shalom, Salam, and Shanti should not only be chanted but also practiced in our families, work places, and in our day-to-day lives. Therefore, peace-making ethos and peacebuilding pathos are our common tasks in order to evolve new mechanisms for a new situation.”

Rev. AHN Jae Woong

The Rev. AHN Jae Woong was born and raised into one of the early Christian families of Korea. He is the Chair of the Board of Trustees, the National Council of YMCAs of Korea, and also the Chair of the Dasomi Foundation in Seoul. He is a former Executive Director of the Christian Institute for the Study of Justice and Development as well as the General Secretary of the Korea Student Christian Federation. In these roles, Rev. AHN was deeply involved in the struggles for democratization and unification movement in Korea.

Then, he moved to Hong Kong in order to serve as the Regional Secretary for the Asia and Pacific Region of the World Student Christian Federation as well as the General Secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia for 19 years. Through this experience he organized and conducted many programs for youth and students, lay and clergy, in peace studies, social and economic justice, human rights and racial justice, and inter-faith dialogue and cooperation. One of his best known achievements was to develop guidance on how to read the bible through Asian eyes.

Rev. AHN is the founder of the Asian Migrant Center in Hong Kong and the Korea Campaign to Ban Landmine in Seoul. He was a Visiting Professor of Theology in the United Graduate School of Theology at Hoseo University, and also a Lecturer in the Graduate School of Theology at Hanshin University. AHN has written five books in Korean, including Understanding the Ecumenical Movement, as well as two books in English such as God Who Matters.

He was awarded the Medal of Honor of the Industrial Service Merit by the Korean Government and the Higher Education Award by the Presbyterian Church (PC USA).