The United Methodist Church’s two Korean-American bishops urge prayers for peace and harmony for the Korean people in the wake of North Korean ruler Kim Jong Il’s death. “For the people who yearn for positive change in the Korean peninsula, this could be a time to be cautiously optimistic for better relations between South Korea and North Korea as well as between North Korea and the rest of the world,” New York Area Bishop Jeremiah J. Park wrote in a statement. Chicago Area Bishop Hee-Soo Jung also issued a statement in Korean.