American NGO Apologizes to Seoul USA for Authorizing Publication of Korean Language Translation without Permission

Colorado Springs: April 14, 2010, (PCTV Newsdesk)

An American Christian NGO that helps churches to resolve conflicts biblically issued a formal apology today to Seoul USA, an NGO with offices in Korea and the US, for authorizing Korea Peacemaker Ministries to publish Seoul USA's translation of The Peacemaker without Seoul USA's knowledge or permission.

"We were wrong to inform Korea Peacemaker Ministries that it could use without [Seoul USA's] approval the Korean translation of the third edition of The Peacemaker produced by your [Seoul USA Translation] Committee," said Peacemaker Ministries Executive Vice President Gary Friesen. "We now know that as translators you have rights to the work you produced and that Peacemaker Ministries failed to protect those rights when we told Korea Peacemaker Ministries it could use your translation. Personally and on behalf of Peacemaker Ministries, I apologize for our mistake and ask for your forgiveness."

Friesen reaffirmed that Seoul USA will be the exclusive distributor of the Korean language translation of The Peacemaker in the US and can continue to use its translation in its existing programs in Korea. Korean Peacemaker Ministries distributes an unrelated Korean language translation of The Peacemaker in South Korea "I hope that in the future we can work successfully to carry biblical peacemaking into homes and churches where the Korean language is spoken," said Friesen.

Seoul USA President, attorney Matt Dubois, said he was thankful that Peacemaker Ministries' error could be remedied according to the biblical peacemaking principles affirmed by all three organizations. Dubois said, "We spent significant money and time to produce an exclusive Korean language translation with Peacemaker Ministries approval. While we were negotiating how our translation might also be used to help in Korea, Peacemaker Ministries released our translation without our consent or awareness for Korea Peacemaker Ministries to modify, distribute and sell. This was very difficult since we were waiting to print the book in the US until the matter could be resolved well for everyone. By God's grace, in this case we were able to work with Peacemaker Ministries to resolve the conflict peacefully without court. We accept Peacemaker Ministries' apology and grant them forgiveness. We hope all Christians with serious conflicts will read The Peacemaker and make a commitment to glorify God by avoiding litigation."

For information visit www.seoulusa.org