ASEM members begin interfaith dialogue in Seoul

By Shin Hae-in
SEOUL, Sept. 24 (Yonhap) -- Religious leaders and government officials from the
45 members of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) began a new round of interfaith
talks here Thursday, seeking solutions to religious and socio-political
conflicts.

Participants of the fifth ASEM Interfaith Dialogue, co-hosted by Korea and
Finland, will discuss regional and interfaith conflicts, the ongoing global
economic crisis and cultural diversity during the two-day forum themed "Bridging
Divides through Interfaith Dialogue."
ASEM is an informal cooperative body of 27 European Union member states and 16
Asian countries plus the European Commission and the ASEAN Secretariat. The first
Interfaith Dialogue was held in 2005 after the Bali bombing incident in 2002, and
subsequent gatherings have been co-hosted by one Asian and one European country.
South Korea will be sharing views on how dozens of different religions co-exist
in the country, Seoul's culture ministry said.
Some 25 million people in South Korea, which has a population of 48 million, are
believed to be religious faithfuls with Christians accounting for nearly 30
percent, followed by Buddhists who account for roughly 23 percent, according to
recent state data.
Discussions will be held under three smaller themes of "Interfaith Dialogue and
Social Cohesion: Overcoming Current Global Challenges," "Interfaith Dialogue and
Public Communication" and "Program and Policy Development," the culture ministry
said.
hayney@yna.co.kr
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