The “John Ross Bible Historical Drama”, written by Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr. Hyun Sook Foley, was performed by North Korean defector students enrolled in the ministry’s Underground University North Korean missionary training program, as well as by Representative Foley, Voice of the Martyrs Korea CEO Pastor Eric Foley, and North Korean Ministries Team Leader Pastor Trevor Foley.  

According to Representative Foley, the stories from the play are drawn from Professor Choi Seong-il’s book, “The origin of the first Korean Bible and Korean Protestantism”, which is published by Voice of the Martyrs Korea publishing. Representative Foley says that although the book and musical drama recount events from the 1880s, nearly identical events are continuing to happen in North Korea today. 

“The drama tells the true stories of the earliest Chosun Christians who paid a great price for bringing the Bible into our country, but that same price is still being paid by North Korean Christians today,” says Representative Foley. “That’s the real message of the drama: Today is the day for gospel ministry to North Korea, and we must join the faithful witnesses who for more than 140 years have paid the price of their lives to bring God’s word to those he loves in North Korea.”  

Representative Foley says that the biggest misconception among South Koreans is that gospel ministry to North Korea is not possible due to the current political situation. “Every year Voice of the Martyrs Korea works with underground Christians in several countries to bring more than 40,000 Bibles inside North Korea,” she says. “The North Korean Human Rights Database organization notes that in the year 2000, virtually no one inside North Korea had seen a Bible with their own eyes. Now, in their latest data from 2020, the organization reports that nearly 8% of those inside North Korea have now seen a Bible. All that is needed is the same spirit that motivated the first Chosun Christians, whose true stories we recount in the performance.” 

Representative Foley says Voice of the Martyrs Korea itself has had 38 martyrs who have laid down their lives for gospel ministry to North Korea in the organization’s 20-year history. The North Korean defector performers in the John Ross Bible drama are students in the organization’s missionary training program, which trains North Korean defectors to reach other North Koreans with the gospel, wherever North Koreans are found.  

Representative Foley said the students gained pride and a sense of responsibility as they learned about their ancestors by participating in the drama. “The Lord chose ordinary Chosun people from the northern part of the peninsula—people exactly like them—to bring his word to our country by laying down their lives,” says Representative Foley. “This makes the students want to faithfully carry on that work, and to share the story of their ancestors with South Korean Christians.”  

Representative Foley says people are surprised to learn that most of the North Korean defector missionary trainees at the school are older women, whom Representative Foley says are particularly effective as missionaries because of the element of surprise. 

“I expected it to be a performance by North Korean youth because it was performed by students from the Underground University missionary school, but it was even more heartwarming to see the passionate performance by North Korean grandmothers,” said Samsung Church Pastor Yoo Won-Yeol. “I fervently pray that this John Ross Bible historical drama will be performed in churches in Pyongyang and Uiju, and also in churches in Sorye, Hwanghae.” 

Popular North Korean defector spokesperson Kang Chul Hwan, the CEO of the North Korea Strategy Center, also attended the performance. “I remember well that the gospel began in North Korea, and that North Korea was once called the Jerusalem of the East. However, I did not know the historical roots of how God used John Ross and Koreans to spread the gospel during the dark Joseon Dynasty, translated the Bible into Korean, and smuggled the Bible into Joseon at the risk of their lives,” said Representative Kang. “I was moved, amazed, and thrilled. In particular, Korean Christians think that the gospel just came to this land, but watching this historical drama made me realize that our country had a tremendous story.” 

Churches interested in hosting a performance of the John Ross Bible Historical Drama can contact Voice of the Martyrs Korea at 02-2065-0703 for more information.