Underground University

Underground University

Underground University

Underground University

UU 학교

Underground University isn’t just a school that teaches North Korean defectors how to do North Korean ministry—it’s a school through which North Koreans actually do North Korean ministry. Rather than waiting for Reunification, UU students take steps toward reunification by ministering to their own people—North Koreans who have defected, been sex trafficked, or who have been sent out to work in order to make money for the NK regime in countries around the world.

[Names may have been changed for security purposes]
UU Report Photo 1
A student graduates from UT and becomes a UU student.

RESOLVING CONFLICT BY THE WORD OF GOD

In North Korean society, treatment of everyday interpersonal conflict like hurt feelings and misunderstandings are also fated to be entangled with the Juche ideology that pervades all of North Korean life. Somebody is in the wrong when they act in ways that are not in accordance with Juche ideals and, when found to be in the wrong, resolution looks like a re-conforming to those ideals.

 

To us, some of those ideals such as revenge and hatred may seem to be inherently unethical but, in North Korea, they are encouraged in the service of the Kim family and the Worker’s Party. In fact, the North Korean regime teaches citizens that the Biblical commands to “turn the other cheek” and “love your enemy” were ideals concocted by Western Imperialists purposely spread among native peoples in order to neutralize them and make it easier for them to be conquered and colonized.

 

Conflict in North Korea is inherently tied up in matters of identity—whether one is being a reactionary or a revolutionary. Likewise, conflict resolution in North Korea is less about forgiveness and compromise between two people and more about restoring conformity to Party values and punishing deviation. In order to contain deviation, neighbors are required to report each other’s deviant activity and to critique their own and their neighbors’ failures in regular criticism meetings.

 

Things become a lot more complicated for North Korean defectors. When they made a choice to defect, at some level they made a decision that to betray their country and become a “bad guy” was the right thing to do. Not only this, but because they were taught to view reactionism as inseperable from America and American religion, some North Koreans see becoming a Christian as the logical next step in the process of defection. In fact, some North Korean defectors first profess faith in Jesus and only later come to realize that Jesus was not a Westerner.

UU Report Photo 2
Dr. Foley teaches UU/UT students about biblical reconciliation.

In the midst of this ethical confusion, North Korean defectors may be initially offended by the Biblical commands about loving their enemies, even after becoming Christians. But we have seen those who are deeply impacted by the Gospel deeply experience the beauty of Christ’s love for His enemies and uphold it as an ideal in place of hatred and revenge.

 

However, holding up love and forgiveness as an ideal and figuring out how to live up to that ideal in one’s daily life are two different things. We often find that North Korean defectors try to practice forgiveness by avoiding conflicts and suppressing hurt feelings. While these strategies may seem to work for short periods of time, they often end up in behavior that is more reminiscent of North Korean conflict resolution such as gossiping, outbursts of criticism, reporting behavior to authority figures, ostracization, and even self-isolation.

 

This is why, at UU/UT, we work with North Korean defector Christians to resolve their interpersonal conflicts through biblical peacemaking strategies, such as those commanded in Matthew 18:15-20. Not only this, we disciple them to teach others to resolve conflict in these ways as well. As we have done so, we have seen some beautiful reconciliations by those who submit to God’s word as well as some unfortunate debacles among those who refuse to do so.

 

In this report, we will share one of the more beautiful examples.

 

Kyeong-hee and Jeong-suk are two North Korean defector women who live in the same apartment complex. Kyeong-hee is a little bit older than Jeong-suk, so she always takes the initiative to help Jeong-suk whenever she needs something. Kyeong-hee helped Jeong-suk to find a church. Kyeong-hee also helped Jeong-suk to go to the hospital when she was sick. Jeong-suk came to rely on Kyeong-hee as a close friend, like an older sister figure. They visited each other often and shared food with each other, too.

 

As things go, they started to have some misunderstandings about each others’ behavior. Jeong-suk felt bad for relying on Kyeong-hee for help. When Jeong-suk tried to express this, Kyeong-hee thought that Jeong-suk was trying to end the relationship. Kyeong-hee became hurt. When Kyeong-hee became hurt, Jeong-suk couldn’t understand why, and figured that Kyeong-hee was being unreasonable. They stopped talking to each other and started avoiding each other. When they did try to talk to each other, it only caused more misunderstandings.

UU Report Photo 3
Dr. Foley draws a biblical reconciliation tool on Jeong-suk’s calendar.

Looking back on the conflict, Jeong-suk said, “I even went to the (leader) at our church. She told me that the two of us should resolve it alone. But I remembered that the Bible said to involve a third party when the two of us cannot resolve it. I thought the conflict would never be resolved. But the Lord gave me a way.”

 

VOMK staff became aware of the conflict and visited Kyeong-hee at her house after dinner, and when the staff told Kyeong-hee about biblical methods of resolving conlict, shared scripture with her, and prayed together, Kyeong-hee opened her heart and said that she would approach her at church on Sunday.

 

Meanwhile, in a nearby apartment, Jeong-suk was in bed worrying. She knew that we were going to visit Kyeong-hee to help with the conflict. But, as the night grew late, she reasoned that the reason we did not come to her house, too, is because we had listened to what Kyeong-hee said and decided to side with Kyeong-hee. Jeong-suk was in the middle of deciding about the best way to leave her church and withdraw from UU/UT when we rung the door bell.

 

We told Jeong-suk the good news about Kyeong-hee opening her heart in response to the word of God. Jeong-suk was more than a little comforted. She declared that nothing is impossible with God and promised to live her life anew from now on. We wrote scriptures and a chart on her whiteboard and calendar in order to remind her how to practice Biblical conflict resolution.

 

By God’s grace, Kyeong-hee and Jeong-suk didn’t even wait until Sunday at church to reconcile.

 

Later, during a UU/UT, class, when the students were translating and studying Matthew 18 in the John Ross Bible, a student asked a question about the commands Jesus gave in Matthew 18:15-20. At this time, Jeong-suk shared with the other students about the process of her reconciliation. Jeong-suk said, “I learned that it is possible to resolve all conflict by the word of God.”

Prayer Requests for this project

  • Pray for Luke 10 Mission Trips – UU/UT students are continuing to participate in Luke 10 Mission Trips to the “lost sheep” (North Koreans who have never heard the gospel before). Pray for God to help our students to trust His providence as they leave their belongings behind and go out like sheep in the midst of wolves.
  • Pray for Healthy Relationships Between UU/UT Students – There is one UU/UT student who only wants to learn from VOMK staff but does not want to learn from other students. Please pray for the Lord to help her to change her attitude to have an attitude of learning from everyone, including other UU/UT students.

About Underground University

1. We train and deploy students for ministry to North Korea today.

We do “works of mercy field trips” each month where we practice sharing our bread, opening our homes, healing and comforting, visiting and remembering, and other disciplines with North Korean defectors and South Korean outcasts. Students are required to minister to NKs internationally before they graduate. That puts them in a very small category of experienced NK ministers!

2. There is an emphasis on hearing and doing the word.

This is not only a field ministry training program. There are homework assignments and quizzes for every class session. Students memorize large amounts of scripture weekly, in keeping with the tradition of the North Korean underground church. Each of our tracks, like Persecution Theology (using In The Shadow Of The Cross), is serious study. We hold ourselves and our students to a seminary standard in theology while offering and requiring more practical theological participation than many South Korean seminaries.

3. Rooted in mentoring.

1 Timothy 3:1-5 shows that the key to effective missionary service is learning to be an effective minister in one’s own family. That can only be learned life-on-life, and that has made UU a one day classroom experience supplemented by a six day supervised life experience—one that continues well beyond their graduation.

Alumni mentor existing students by acting as examples, coaches, and understanding elder brothers and sisters. This is proving to be a crucial missing piece in both enabling more thorough instruction and also creating greater connection with our alumni.

13 Comments

  1. 북한 고아들을 고아원에 보내면 안 되는 이유 – Voice of the Martyrs Korea

    Says February 19, 2019 at pm 3:29

    […] UU 학교 […]

    • Ruth+Thomas

      Says August 14, 2021 at pm 5:58

      Praying for you. Thanks for the information and prayer pointers.
      Ruth Thomas

      • Pastor Tim

        Says August 16, 2021 at pm 9:56

        Thank you Ruth!! God Bless ~ Pastor Tim

  2. The New Wave of Christian Persecution in China is Producing a New Wave of North Korean Missionaries from the Most Unusual Backgrounds | Do the Word

    Says March 27, 2019 at am 10:33

    […] years we and our Underground University (UU) North Korean missionary students have evangelized North Korean workers sent abroad to make […]

  3. Elliot

    Says November 01, 2019 at am 4:29

    What can we do here in the United States to help the North Koreans learn about Jesus our Lord?

  4. Rosalba Mendoza

    Says March 20, 2020 at am 8:35

    Hello,

    I am interested in joining in this mission. How can I do?

  5. Rosalba Mendoza

    Says March 20, 2020 at am 8:36

    Hello,

    I am interested in joining whit this mission.

    How can I do?

    • vom staff

      Says March 21, 2020 at pm 3:03

      Thanks Rosalba! We sent you an e-mail. God Bless ~ Pastor Tim

  6. Brian

    Says May 31, 2022 at pm 6:58

    God bless for all people who take this course and praying for UU program!

    • Pastor Tim

      Says June 03, 2022 at pm 1:53

      Thank you Brian! God Bless ~ Pastor Tim

  7. Muriel Richardson

    Says June 24, 2022 at am 1:53

    Still in my prayers…for all of you in your various missions! Happy memories of my visit and meeting you all. May The LORD bless all your endeavours in Him

    • Pastor Tim

      Says June 25, 2022 at am 11:03

      Thank you Muriel! We miss you! God Bless ~ Pastor Tim

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