Expanding Exchanges between North Korean Defectors and North American Christians “We Will Lead Change in North Korea through Inter-Korean Diaspora Cooperation”

There is a growing exchange between North Korean defectors in South Korea and Christians in North America. They say that as diasporas who left their homeland, they look forward to working together to bring change to North Korea. Reporter Kim Young-kwon reports. Rev. Hyun Soo Lim (Director of Global United Mission Training Center), a Korean-Canadian who was detained in North Korea for 31 months and was released, is currently traveling the eastern part of the United States and Canada with 16 North Korean defector seminarians in South Korea. Rev. Lim explains that the goal is to visit about 40 churches in the Washington, Philadelphia, New York, and Toronto areas, share the reality and experiences of North Korea, build partnerships with American Christians, and strengthen the capacity of North Korean defectors. [Recording: Rev. Hyun Soo Lim] “It’s like an eye-opener. It opens their eyes and they see the world like this. Also, what they learned in North Korea was that the United States was an imperialist sworn enemy, but seeing it completely changes their minds. Last year, a friend who came was a former soldier, and he took a picture of the American flag, thinking, “This is a very precious American flag that they used to burn all the time...” Last May, pastors and their families from 20 North Korean defector churches in Korea visited Washington and established sisterhood ties with 21 Korean churches in the area. Missionary Lee Jung-in of the Washington Unification Plaza Prayer Meeting, who led this partnership, explained that the partnership was formed to raise talent for the reconstruction of North Korea. [Recording: Missionary Lee Jung-in] “Many churches in Korea have saved up all their money to do missionary work in North Korea. They say that they will build a church when North Korea opens. However, that church is a building church. They need to prepare people. That’s why the most important spiritual leaders are the 60~70 North Korean defector churches in Korea. So we will raise up churches here in the Americas, form an equal partnership, work together with them, and support them in preparation for the opening of North Korea’s door…”

Last May, a sisterhood event was held at the Washington Korean Church in Washington, D.C. between 20 churches run by North Korean defectors and 20 churches in the Washington area.

The Unification Angels Prayer Association, a missionary group in the western United States, will be hosting the '2023 Zerubbabel Unification Vision Camp' in California from the 24th to August 3rd. The event invites 12 second-generation North Korean defectors to Korea and tours historical sites and memorial halls of Korean-Americans in the Americas, including Dosan Ahn Chang-ho and former President Syngman Rhee, as well as Stanford University, Google, and the headquarters of Apple, with the goal of broadening their worldview and strengthening their capabilities, according to the organizers. The event is being led by missionary Kim Hak-song (Unification Hope Scholarship Association), a Korean-American who was detained in North Korea in 2017 for anti-communist hostile acts and was released a year later. [Recording: Missionary Kim Hak-song] "I've been working with children of North Korean defectors and orphans since I was in China. The reason I call him Zerubbabel is because he was a second-generation captive. A second-generation captive returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the temple. That's why we're instilling vision and dreams in North Korean defectors. Why should we unify? We should plant the dream of a unified Korea and you should return to Pyongyang and restore the Pyongyang temple…” Many American Christians who actually help North Korean defectors emphasize that there are many similarities between Korean immigrants in the United States and North Korean defectors. They are all part of the “diaspora,” which means they left their hometowns, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, to form communities and live in unfamiliar places such as foreign countries. Pastor Lim Hyun-soo and missionary Lee Jung-in said that when the Bible says that diaspora immigrants living abroad played a leading role in rebuilding and restoring the ruined temple of their homeland, North Korean defector leaders will also play an important role in rebuilding North Korea. [Recording: Pastor Lim Hyun-soo] “Even if you look at the Bible, you can see that Nehemiah, Esther, Ezra, Daniel, and even Joseph were all people who were abroad and played a decisive role in restoring their homeland. So the role of the diaspora is important. But who will act as a catalyst? It would be good if people who actually came from North Korea spoke.” [Recording: Pastor Lee Jung-in] “One leader is really important. The role of a single leader is important in the fall and rise of a country. The problem in North Korea is that because of one leader, the entire people become slaves, suffer, and live miserable lives. However, if you look at the Bible, the refugees who came out of their misery because they could not live well, the most vulnerable people, revive the country. Moses, Nehemiah, Esther… I believe that North Korean defectors will also become people who save the country.” The experience of living overseas as a non-mainstream group, overcoming language and cultural differences, discrimination, loneliness, and putting down roots can also contribute positively to the reconstruction of North Korea. Pastor Kang Chul-ho, a first-generation defector who is currently leading 16 North Korean theology students in South Korea with Pastor Lim Hyun-soo, says that because of these commonalities, he receives a lot of comfort from North Korean defectors whenever they visit the United States. [Recording: Pastor Kang Chul-ho] “Our defectors often say that it feels like they are coming home to their parents. When they come to the United States, immigrants have suffered a lot. They are still living fiercely. That’s why they know the hearts of our defectors so well. How hard it must have been. How difficult it must be to live in an unfamiliar Korean society. When I hear these words of comfort in this American immigrant community, I feel the affection that comes from hearing the warm words of my parents from my hometown. I receive the warmth that I could not receive in Korea from the immigrant church…” Pastor Kang also said, “The complaints that I had accumulated from some discrimination and sorrow while living in Korea are now transformed into gratitude as I see the fierce lives of Korean immigrants,” and “Through this learning, my passion to restore North Korea is also restored.” Meanwhile, a famous American missionary organization invited about 10 North Korean defector leaders to hold the 3rd North Korean defector leadership event in March. An official from the organization said that since it was a private event, he could not give details, but emphasized, “North Korean defectors are a gift that God sent us first to rebuild the devastated North Korea, so we have a duty to help them grow into good leaders.” In addition, next month, the Durihana Mission in the US will hold the 10th summer retreat event for North Korean defector refugees who have settled in the US in the western United States. Meanwhile, missionary Lee Jung-in, who holds a prayer meeting for North Korea in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington every Tuesday, said that he is organizing prayer movements and sisterhood ties between churches of North Korean defectors here because Washington’s symbolism is very important. He also emphasized that many Christians are hoping that the United States, the world’s most powerful country, will liberate North Koreans from Kim’s dictatorship on the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement, just as King Cyrus of Persia unconditionally liberated Jewish captives after 70 years. [Recording: Missionary Lee Jung-in] “It has been 70 years since the armistice line was drawn. That is why we need to liberate them from slavery, and that is why I think Hanam sent pastors of churches in North Korea, that is, churches of North Korean defectors, here. When the door opens, we will go into North Korea first and establish churches and schools, and we will go into various political, economic, social, and other fields to establish the country in the right direction, as a free democratic country, and as a country with freedom of religion.” The North Korean government claims that Article 68 of the Constitution thoroughly guarantees freedom of religion for its citizens. However, the UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Human Rights in North Korea pointed out in its final report in 2014 that the North Korean government completely denies freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. This is Kim Young-kwon from VOA News.

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