{"id":24505,"date":"2020-04-21T09:00:59","date_gmt":"2020-04-21T00:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/?p=24505"},"modified":"2020-07-24T11:28:21","modified_gmt":"2020-07-24T02:28:21","slug":"vomk-report-97","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/2020\/04\/21\/vomk-report-97\/","title":{"rendered":"DEACON SPENDS 2,000TH DAY IN NK PRISON AS CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED FOR HIS RELEASE"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”24513″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”Deacon Jang Moon Seok \uc7a5\ubb38\uc11d, who ministered to North Koreans in Changbai, China alongside martyred Pastor Han Chung-Ryeol, spent his 2,000th day in a prison inside of North Korea while coworkers mobilized a global letter writing campaign urging his release.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:1.2em|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” el_class=”headline”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span><\/span>Deacon Jang,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>who is\u00a0<\/span><\/span>also known by his Chinese name\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Zhang Wen Sh<\/span><\/span>i, is an ethnically Korean Chinese citizen\u00a0<\/span><\/span>who was kidnapped in\u00a0<\/span><\/span>November 2014<\/span><\/span>\u00a0from China and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>put in a North Korean prison<\/span><\/span>,\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

says Voice of the Martyrs Korea representative Dr. Hyun Sook Foley<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span><\/span>We believe the reason for his kidnapping was to gather information about the North Korean ministry work we were doing with Pastor Han.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Fifteen months\u00a0<\/span><\/span>after\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Deacon Jang\u2019s kidnapping and arrest<\/span><\/span>, Pastor Han was lured from his home and stabbed to death in Changbai.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Deacon Jang\u00a0<\/span><\/span>is currently serving a\u00a0<\/span><\/span>15<\/span><\/span>–<\/span><\/span>year<\/span><\/span>\u00a0prison sentence in\u00a0<\/span><\/span>North Korea.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Representative Foley says that\u00a0<\/span><\/span>i<\/span><\/span>n the time since he was imprisoned<\/span><\/span>\u00a0more than 2,000 days ago<\/span><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>several\u00a0<\/span><\/span>other\u00a0<\/span><\/span>North Koreans\u00a0<\/span><\/span>have either encountered Deacon Jan<\/span><\/span>g<\/span><\/span>\u00a0in prison or heard a report about him<\/span><\/span>\u00a0which was then shared with Voice of the Martyrs Korea<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span><\/span>Though it is illegal to cross into China without permission, North Koreans often visit Chinese border towns to purchase goods to resell in North Korea, seeking medicine or other help, and conducting business<\/span><\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span>Near Changbai, North Koreans gather herbs on the North Korean side of the mountain, then take them into Changbai to sell at the market and bring the money back with them to North Korea.<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Representative Foley sa<\/span><\/span>ys<\/span><\/span>\u00a0that\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Deacon Jang regularly hosted\u00a0<\/span><\/span>these\u00a0<\/span><\/span>North Korean<\/span><\/span>\u00a0visitor<\/span><\/span>s in his home for days and weeks at a time before they returned to North Korea, giving them warm clothing, feeding them and providing things they might need for their return to North Korea.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span>He saw this as his Christian duty to welcome the stranger, clothe the naked and care for the sick<\/span><\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span>As a believer, he also shared about his faith to those who were willing.<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says that a<\/span><\/span>\u00a0number of these North Koreans accepted the message and became Christians.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span><\/span>Some returned to Deacon Jang\u2019s home repeatedly for more Bible training, and Deacon Jang and Pastor Han also taught them how to share their faith with their loved ones. Their goal was always to see North Koreans return home.<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

This month,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Voice of the Martyrs Korea<\/span><\/span>, in partnership with its Voice of the Martyrs sister missions<\/span><\/span>\u00a0in other countries<\/span><\/span>, launched a letter writing campaign\u00a0<\/span><\/span>to the North Korean Ambassador to the United Nations\u00a0<\/span><\/span>advocating for Deacon Jang\u2019s release. So far more than 1,000 letters have been sent<\/span><\/span>\u00a0from<\/span><\/span>\u00a015 countries<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”24514″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Deacon Jang Moon Seok \uc7a5\ubb38\uc11d was kidnapped in November 2014 and is currently serving a 15-year prison sentence in North Korea.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%23000000|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Representative Foley\u00a0<\/span>is calling on Christians to\u00a0<\/span>participate in the campaign by emailing DPRK Ambassador to the United Nations Kim Song at<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>dpr.korea@verizon.net<\/span><\/a>\u00a0or sending a letter to him addressed in English as follows:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ambassador Kim Song<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

DPRK Permanent Mission to the United Nations<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

820 2nd Ave RM 13b<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

NEW YORK N.Y. 10017<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley recommends that the letter be kept short and direct. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span><\/span>W<\/span><\/span>hen writing\u00a0<\/span><\/span>letters to North Korea, the less said, the better. What is best is just\u00a0<\/span><\/span>one sentence\u00a0<\/span><\/span>in English or Korean\u00a0<\/span><\/span>that says, \u2018<\/span><\/span>We request the return of Chinese citizen Zhang Wen Shi\u00a0<\/span><\/span>(Deacon\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Jang Moon Seok\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\uc7a5\ubb38\uc11d<\/span><\/span>)<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>to China<\/span><\/span>\u2019.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Writing anything more will not be helpful to Deacon Jang.<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says that the campaign is a personal mission for her<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span><\/span>Deacon Jang\u00a0<\/span><\/span>always called me \u2018Big Sister\u2019<\/span><\/span>,\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

she says. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span><\/span>He is a simple man who never did anything political. He\u00a0<\/span><\/span>just\u00a0<\/span><\/span>helped North Korean people for many years.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0That should never be a crime, and Christians should\u00a0<\/span>join together<\/span>\u00a0to help Deacon Jang and his family.<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Individuals interested in contributing to Voice of the Martyrs Korea\u2019s Families of Martyrs and Prisoners\u00a0<\/span>(FOM\/FOP)\u00a0<\/span>fund\u00a0<\/span>can\u00a0<\/span>donate online (www.vomkorea.com\/donation) or by wire transfer (please indicate \u201c<\/span>FOM\/FOP<\/span>\u201d) to:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\uad6d\ubbfc\uc740\ud589<\/span>\u00a0463501-01-243303<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\uc608\uae08\uc8fc<\/span>: (<\/span>\uc0ac<\/span>)<\/span>\uc21c\uad50\uc790\uc758\uc18c\ub9ac<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”24513″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”Deacon Jang Moon Seok \uc7a5\ubb38\uc11d, who ministered to North Koreans in Changbai, China alongside martyred Pastor Han Chung-Ryeol, spent his 2,000th day in a prison inside of …","protected":false},"author":659,"featured_media":24520,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[857,235,869,140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24505","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-russian-special","category-special-column","category-china-special","category-vomk-report"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["ko","en","zh","ru"],"languages":{"ko":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"zh":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"ru":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24505","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/659"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24505"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24505\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24520"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24505"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24505"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24505"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}