U.S. religious leaders urge Washington to send envoy to Pyongyang for direct talks

Seoul, Oct. 27 (Yonhap) -- A group of 120 U.S. religious leaders issued a joint statement urging Washington to send a presidential envoy to Pyongyang and start direct dialogue during their trip to the inter-Korean border area on Friday.

Catholic Archbishop George Augustus Stallings from the United States reads the statement at Imjingak on Oct. 27. (courtesy of Universal Peace Federation)

"We must treat North Korea with dignity," the Catholic, Muslim and Jewish leaders said in the statement at Imjingak, a tourist pavilion near the demilitarized zone.

Click here for the Full Statement (pdf).