RUSSIA: KOREAN MISSIONARY MOVED TO HOUSE ARREST, THEN TAKEN TO DETENTION CAMP
A Korean missionary imprisoned in Khabarovsk on immigration-related charges was moved from prison to house arrest after agreeing to remain there until after her trial, but witnesses say she was forcibly removed from her home the next day by masked law enforcement agents who took her to a detention center for foreigners. An online petition calling for the release of the missionary, Park Tae-Yeon, has now amassed more than 3,200 signatures internationally. Organizers plan to deliver the petition to the Russian embassy in Seoul once 5,000 signatures are secured.
That’s the update from persecution watchdog Voice of the Martyrs Korea, which has been advocating for the release of Missionary Park Tae-Yeon since her arrest on January 15, one week before she was scheduled to return home to Korea to retire at age 70.
The organization’s petition can be accessed at https://vomkorea.com/en/petition-2026.
Screenshot of the petition urging the release of Ms. Park Tae-Yeon
Voice of the Martyrs Korea CEO Pastor Eric Foley says that with no sign of Missionary Park’s release in sight, he believes it’s more important than ever for all Koreans to sign it.
“Missionary Park now has an attorney representing her. She is currently able to receive visits from the Korean consulate and has been able to be in limited contact with family and friends by phone. She is in good health and good spirits,” says Pastor Foley. “But every indication is that the case will go to trial with a possible 5 to 10-year sentence, and that Russian authorities are continuing their investigation into Missionary Park’s activities.”
Pastor Foley says Voice of the Martyrs Korea remains concerned that authorities may be investigating Missionary Park not only for immigration-related violations but also for alleged religious activities. He points to a report on January 23, 2026, by the state-affiliated Russian media outlet RIA. That report cites a Khabarovsk city official who alleges a months-long investigation by law enforcement agencies into religious camps for children in Khabarovsk. The RIA report says, “As a result of the investigation, the activities of a citizen of the Republic of Korea, who carried out missionary work while hiding behind plausible goals, were stopped.” The report claims that workers involved in the camps brainwashed children, forcing them to copy the Bible for hours, with the ultimate goal of taking the children to Korea.
Screenshot of the article on the ria.ru website (https://ria.ru/20260123/habarovsk-2069843523.html)
“The fact that Missionary Park has now been detained for a month while authorities continue to investigate her is troubling,” says Pastor Foley. He says the petition by his organization is not only an attempt to advocate for Missionary Park’s release but also an effort to keep her case in the public eye.
“Nothing good happens to prisoners when the world is silent about them,” says Pastor Foley.
Ms. Park Tae-yeon has been living with a sincere love for the country of Russia and its people since she arrived there in 1993.
Pastor Foley points to the treatment of Missionary Park in the period immediately following her arrest, before her case had been publicized outside of Russia. “Authorities moved Missionary Park to house arrest in early February. Then according to witnesses, masked law enforcement agents forcibly moved her again the next day without indicating where they were taking her.” Pastor Foley says that concerned local Christians ultimately traced Missionary Park’s location to a detention camp for foreigners, where she had been sent because her visa had expired.
“That kind of treatment of prisoners is unacceptable, and the best protection for prisoners is letting governments know that we are watching them and expecting them to meet their international obligations for fair and just treatment of prisoners,” says Pastor Foley.
In a press conference held at Voice of the Martyrs Korea’s Seoul office on February 4, Representative Dr. Hyun Sook Foley called the arrest of Missionary Park “ridiculous”.
“Ms. Park Tae-yeon has been living with a sincere love for the country of Russia and its people since she arrived there in 1993. She has no prior criminal history. She has lived her whole life as a single person and has devoted herself to the locals for 33 years, to the point where she says she is married to Russia. She has practiced a life of caring for her neighbors, and her pure spirit of service has become an example for many people around her. Park Tae-yeon is a transparent and good person like a child, without political ideology or impure purpose.”
Screenshot of the video published by Readovka.news
The Foleys say they will exhaust every effort to see Ms. Park freed. Voice of the Martyrs Korea has posted an online petition at https://vomkorea.com/en/petition-2026. The petition currently has more than 3,200 signatures from Korea as well as the United States, Canada, Russia, Poland, and Australia. The Foleys had initially planned to deliver the petition to the Russian Embassy in Seoul shortly after Chinese New Year, but they say that international interest in Missionary Park’s case has continued to grow as a result of foreign media reports. “We’re encouraged to see people around the world standing up for Missionary Park by signing the petition,” says Pastor Foley. “They know that justice is best served by sending her home to Korea, where she had a plane ticket to go one week after her arrest.”
The Foleys now hope to secure 5,000 signatures on the petition before delivering it to the Russian Embassy by mid-March.