The first North Korea Mission Forum in the United States was held at the Garden Grove Korean-American Adventist Church in Los Angeles, California, by the Korean-American Seventh-day Adventist Church Association (KASDA) under the supervision of the Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD). About 400 attendees were present at the meetings, which took place from June 26 to 27, 2015.
In order to preach the gospel in North Korea, it is important to comprehend reality and to develop mission strategies. The forum was devised to report the true state of North Korea and to think of possible strategies. It included a revival meeting on June 26 and a mission report, direction guidance and forum for North Korean mission on June 27.
The first meeting began with a special song by the Golden Angels. Pastor Kim DongJun, president of the Committee on North Korean Mission, welcomed all attendees, and Mr. Kim YangIl, consultant of the UN, reported on the current situation and trends of North Korea. Based on his experiences of visiting the country a dozen times, he said that there is a radical change taking place within society, following the Chinese model of reform. During the North Korean famine in the 1990s, the people needed to supply food for themselves, and markets were opened. Then someday, the North Korean government will respect private property, more or less like China. If so, it will also permit religious activity within the Juche (self-reliance) ideology. He concluded that it is very crucial to prepare the seed of the gospel now.
Subsequently, Ms. Lee Ok, a North Korean defector who had been a staff sergeant in the North Korean army, testified about her life in North Korea and her experience of meeting God as she escaped. When she was in the army during the famine, she heard that her parents had starved to death. She went to her home for the funeral, and then she decided to escape with her brother. As they crossed the Tumen River, the powerful current swept her brother away from her. After she arrived in China, she heard of God for the first time from a South Korean missionary team, but she could not believe because she had been brainwashed with the Juche ideology.
Then she was taught about prayer, and she prayed to God asking to meet her brother again if he were alive. Surprisingly, her prayer was answered unexpectedly when she visited a protective custody office for young North Korean refugees. She knelt down before God and decided to trust in Him. Together with her brother, she went to South Korea, and she is determined to spend the rest of her life for the glory of God and evangelization of North Korea.
After the testimony, there was a video presentation on North Korean mission. Then Dr. Jairyong Lee, NSD president, preached a message titled “North Korea Will Soon Open.” “As the Israelites were released and returned after 70 years of captivity by Babylonia, North Korea will open its door after 70 years of division, and then the great commission of God will be accomplished,” said Dr. Lee.
The second-day meeting began with welcome remarks by Dr. Jairyong Lee; Pastor Kwon OhYoung, KASDA president; and Mr. Kwon SeokDae, president of the Orange San Diego Municipal Chapter of the National Unification Advisory Council. The next program included activity reports of North Korean relief and mission groups, such as the Korean American Adventist Relief Agency (KAARA), which helps orphans in North Korea; the K-Project, which provides medical equipment and technical support to Kim ManYoo Hospital in Pyongyang; the American Shamyook International Medical Association (ASIMA), which helps the North Korean Federation for the Care of the Aged and supports dental service; and the “We Are the One, which does relief activities headed by second generation Korean-Americans. The NSD presented appreciation plaques to the KARRA and the ASIMA for their many years of service and dedication for relief and mission in North Korea.
After the report, Pastor Hong DooPyo, chairman of the North Korean Mission Committee, presented direction and suggestions for North Korean mission. He suggested cooperation and joint activity among North Korean mission groups in the USA for more effective and efficient work. Pastor Kim SiYoung, coordinator of the NSD North Korean Mission, also supported this suggestion because it will bear more missionary fruits.
The last presentation was a report on the religious situation and underground churches in North Korea by a representative of Corner Stone Mission, which actively works in China. The meeting ended with a sketch of reunification of Korea by Mr. Kwon SeokDae. All attendees signed a sheet of resolution to confirm their dedication and support for North Korea.
The remarkable achievement through the meeting was unification among mission groups and cooperation between KASDA and NSD. We hope the Three Angels’ Messages will brighten the northern land soon.