Samuel Chang Jae-on
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Samuel Chang Jae-on | |
|---|---|
장재언 | |
| President of the Korean Catholic Association | |
| In office 1988 – present | |
| Former President of the North Korean Red Cross | |
| President of the North Korean Council of Religionists | |
| Representative of North Korean Catholics in inter-Korean exchanges | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | North Korea |
| Nationality | North Korean |
| Political party | Worker's Party of Korea |
| Occupation | Catholic official, religious diplomat |
| Known for | Leading the state-recognized Catholic Church of North Korea |
Samuel Chang Jae on (Korean: 장재언) is a North Korean Catholic official who currently serves as the President of the Korean Catholic Association, a state-recognized Catholic body based in North Korea since its founding in 1988.[1]
Life and Career
Jae-on is associated with different political, religious and humanitarian roles in North Korea:
Political career
Chang Jae-on was elected as a member of the 13th Supreme People's Assembly.[2]
President of Korean Catholic Association (KCA)
He served as the president of the Korean Catholic Association since 1988.[1] In 1998 he handed over an unprecedented written appeal to the Catholic Bishops´ Conference of Korea requesting South Korea´s bishops to refocus aid to the North on long-term assistance for agricultural production, especially electric power, instead of emergency food aid.[3][4]
He invited Auxiliary Bishop Peter Kang Woo-il of Seoul to visit North Korea, according to an official of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea in 2000.[5]
He sent condolences on Pope John Paul II as the President of Korean Catholic Association.[6]
After hearing the bad news, I express my deepest condolences. It is with great sorrow that all Catholic believers in our country are conducting mass in memory of John Paul II. Services are being held in Pyongyang's Changchung Cathedral and in places of worship around the country.[6]
In 2014, he declined to send North Korean Catholics to attend Pope Francis's mass in Seoul, South Korea due to the start of joint U.S.-South Korean military drills occurring at the same time.[7]
Red Cross activities
He also functioned as the president of the Red Cross in the DPRK. He served as a humanitarian and mediating role between the South and the North.[4] According to UCA News, Chang served as the president of the North Korean Red Cross and led a delegation of 100 North Koreans to South Korea in 2000 for family reunions.[8]
President of the North Korean Council of Religionists
He also served as president of the Korean Council of Religionists, an organization representing officially recognized religious groups in North Korea.[8][9][10]
Representative of North Korean Catholics in inter-Korean exchanges
He also served as a representative for North Korean Catholics to South Korea and worldwide Catholic institutions. He visited Seoul in 2000 and led 16 North Korean Catholics at a mass in March 2.[11][12][13]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Hamhung Diocese: History, Population, Geography, Statistics | UCA News - UCA News". ucanews.com. Retrieved 2026-01-24.
- ↑ "Deputies (Members) of the 13th Supreme People's Assembly .Check the 46th name" (PDF).
- ↑ "north korea catholic church asks southern church for longterm aid". ucanews.com. Retrieved 2026-01-22.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "south korea catholics continue to send food aid to north". ucanews.com. Retrieved 2026-01-24.
- ↑ "North Korean Catholic Association Promises To Invite Seoul Bishop". www.katolsk.no (in norsk bokmål). Retrieved 2026-01-22.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 AsiaNews.it. "North Korea sends condolences for Pope's death". www.asianews.it. Retrieved 2026-01-22.
- ↑ AFP (2014-08-06). "North Korea rejects offer to attend mass given by Pope Francis in Seoul". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-01-22.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "North Korean Catholic Leader Visits Seoul, Fails To Meet Church Heads". www.katolsk.no (in norsk bokmål). Retrieved 2026-01-22.
- ↑ "Religious leaders visit North Korea- UCA News". ucanews.com. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
- ↑ AsiaNews.it. "A Russian Orthodox church goes up in Pyongyang". www.asianews.it. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
- ↑ Staff, ZENIT (2003-03-13). "North Korean Catholics Celebrate Their First Official Mass in Seoul - ZENIT - English". ZENIT - English (in español). Archived from the original on 2025-07-15. Retrieved 2026-01-22.
- ↑ "Privés d'eucharistie depuis la partition du pays – Portail catholique suisse". cath.ch (in français). Retrieved 2026-01-23.
- ↑ "Catholics allowed to cross border to attend Mass".
External links
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