{"id":58283,"date":"2026-03-24T11:43:44","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T02:43:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/?p=58283"},"modified":"2026-03-24T11:52:57","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T02:52:57","slug":"vomk-report-390","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/2026\/03\/24\/vomk-report-390\/","title":{"rendered":"RUSSIA: KOREAN MISSIONARY NOW FACES TWO NEW CHARGES, POSSIBLE 17 YEAR SENTENCE"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”58289″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=””][vc_custom_heading text=”A Korean missionary being held in Khabarovsk, Russia now faces a maximum of 17 years in prison on a total of three immigration-related charges. Last week, investigators filed two new charges against Missionary Park Tae-Yeon and were granted a one-month extension to continue their investigation, which has so far lasted two months. The initial court hearing is now likely to occur in late April.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:1.2em|text_align:left|color:%23111111″ google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” css=”” el_class=”headline”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]That\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0the update from persecution watchdog Voice of the Martyrs Korea, which has been advocating for the release of Missionary Park since her arrest on January 15, one week before she was scheduled to return home to Korea to retire at age 70.\u00a0<\/span>T<\/span>h<\/span>e missionary continues to be held at a<\/span>n<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>immigration deten<\/span>tion ce<\/span>nter<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]According to Voice of the Martyrs Korea CEO Pastor Eric Foley, authorities have also seized Missionary Park<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>s house\u00a0<\/span>in Russia\u00a0<\/span>and fined the missionary for overstaying her visa, despite the overstay being due to her detainment by Russian authorities.\u00a0<\/span>Pastor Foley calls these actions\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span>serious violations of the law<\/span>\u00a0that demand remedy by the court<\/span>\u00a0and the action of C<\/span>h<\/span>ristians around the world on Missionary Park<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>s behalf<\/span><\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”57528″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” css=””][vc_custom_heading text=”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.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0101|line_height:1.45em” css=””][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Voice of the Martyrs Korea has posted a petition online at\u00a0<\/span><\/span>https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/petition-2026<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0calling for Missionary Park<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>s immediate release. Pastor Foley says that so far more than 3,700 people in Korea have added their names to the petition, along with 750 people from the United States<\/span>, Australia<\/span><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Canada<\/span><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Japan, New Zealand,\u00a0<\/span>the United Kingdom<\/span>, South Africa, Brazil, Africa<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0and Finland.<\/span>\u00a0Pastor Foley says he and V<\/span>o<\/span>ice of the M<\/span>a<\/span>rtyrs Korea Representative Dr<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Hyun Sook Foley will deliver the petition to the R<\/span>u<\/span>ssian Embassy in Seoul once 5,000 signatures are secured.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]\u201c<\/span><\/span>We need to<\/span>\u00a0let Russian authorities know that\u00a0<\/span>the world is watching to see how they will treat this 70-year old\u00a0<\/span>single\u00a0<\/span>woman\u00a0<\/span>who for more than 30 years said she was\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u2018<\/span><\/span>married to Russia<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>, serv<\/span>ing\u00a0<\/span>Russian people<\/span><\/span>\u2014<\/span><\/span>especially children<\/span><\/span>\u2014<\/span><\/span>with her whole heart,<\/span>\u00a0with not even a single complaint against her during that time,\u201d says Pastor Foley. He says that\u00a0<\/span>more than a dozen\u00a0<\/span>people in\u00a0<\/span>R<\/span>u<\/span>ssia<\/span>\u00a0and Korea have\u00a0<\/span>stepped forward to provide\u00a0<\/span>official\u00a0<\/span>character references\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>submit<\/span>\u00a0to the court on\u00a0<\/span>Missionary Park<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>s behalf<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”58287″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” css=””][vc_custom_heading text=”Screenshot from a video of Missionary Park\u2019s arrest posted on the \u0411\u0438\u0440\u0436\u0430 \u043f\u043e\u043b\u0438\u0442\u0438\u043a\u043e\u0432 – \u0425\u0430\u0431\u0430\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u043a\u0440\u0430\u0439 (Political Marketplace – Khabarovsk Krai Telegram Channel” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0101|line_height:1.45em” css=””][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Pastor F<\/span>o<\/span>ley says that\u00a0<\/span>the three\u00a0<\/span>charges against Missionary Park\u00a0<\/span>are\u00a0<\/span>all immigration-related<\/span>\u00a0and deal with\u00a0<\/span>assistance<\/span>\u00a0Missionary Park allegedly provided to Koreans to enter Russia.\u00a0<\/span>Two of the charges carry\u00a0<\/span>maximum<\/span>\u00a05-year sentences, and the third carries a\u00a0<\/span>maximum<\/span>\u00a07-year\u00a0<\/span>sentence<\/span>, leading to a possible\u00a0<\/span>maximum<\/span>\u00a017-year sentence between the three charges.\u00a0<\/span>He says\u00a0<\/span>although the charges are explicitly immigration-related,\u00a0<\/span>Voice of the\u00a0<\/span>Martyrs<\/span>\u00a0Korea\u00a0<\/span>remains<\/span>\u00a0concerned that\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>motivation for the charges is<\/span>\u00a0religious.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]\u201c<\/span><\/span>Voice of the\u00a0<\/span>Martyrs<\/span>\u00a0Korea obtained\u00a0<\/span>copies of a notification sent out in January by the Khabarovsk\u00a0<\/span>Department of Education\u00a0<\/span>to educational and other\u00a0<\/span>child care<\/span>\u00a0institutions in the area. The notification says in part,\u00a0<\/span>\u2018In the capital of the region, a citizen of South Korea, an agent of an American organization<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Park Tae-yong’s Child\u00a0<\/span>E<\/span>vangelism\u00a0<\/span>F<\/span>ellowship set up a brainwashing machine for children, instilling values alien to our society and drawing them into the practice of the Korean-American form of Protestantism.\u2019<\/span>\u00a0The statement continues:\u00a0<\/span>\u2018Russian children were set against the family and the state, and Park Tae-yong herself was presented to them as the main life guide.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The camp was carefully conspiratorial.<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>\u00a0The notification concludes:\u00a0<\/span>\u2018Park Tae-yong intended to take Russian children to South Korea for final\u00a0<\/span>zombification, but<\/span>\u00a0did not have time.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Now Park Tae-yong has been detained, a criminal case has been opened for organizing illegal migration.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”57531″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” css=””][vc_custom_heading text=”Screenshot of the petition urging the release of Ms. Park Tae-Yeon” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0101|line_height:1.45em” css=””][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Pastor Foley says that similar reports appeared in state-affiliated Russian media in late January.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]\u201cThe\u00a0<\/span>criminal charges and media campaign against Missionary Park reflect\u00a0<\/span>the continued decline in religious freedom\u00a0<\/span>across the Russian Federation<\/span>, particularly as it relates to<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Protestant Evangelical<\/span>s,<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0says Pastor Foley.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span>The 2025 US C<\/span>o<\/span>mmission on International Religious Freedom report on Russia says,\u00a0<\/span>\u2018Russia criminalizes the activities of several peaceful religious groups by\u00a0<\/span>designating<\/span>\u00a0them as \u201cterrorist,\u201d \u201cextremist,\u201d or \u201cundesirable,\u201d despite no evidence of their promotion of or participation in violence.\u2019<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>That<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0exactly what we see in\u00a0<\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0case of Missionary Park. Her activity\u00a0<\/span>hasn<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>t<\/span>\u00a0changed for more than 30 years, The only<\/span>\u00a0thing that has changed\u00a0<\/span>is that now Russia<\/span>n authorities<\/span>\u00a0calls people like her\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u2018<\/span><\/span>extremists<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>\u2018<\/span><\/span>brainwashers<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>, and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u2018<\/span><\/span>conspirators against Russia<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>, despite all\u00a0<\/span>common-sense\u00a0<\/span>evidence to the contrary.<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]Since 2021, t<\/span>he United States\u00a0<\/span>has\u00a0<\/span>designated Russia as one of 12\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u2018<\/span><\/span>Countries of Particular Concern<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>for religious freedom violations<\/span>, along with countries including\u00a0<\/span>China, Iran, North Korea<\/span>, Pakistan, and Cuba<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]Individuals interested in signing the petition on behalf of Missionary Park can visit\u00a0<\/span><\/span>https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/petition-2026<\/span><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_column][\/vc_column]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”58289″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=””][vc_custom_heading text=”A Korean missionary being held in Khabarovsk, Russia now faces a maximum of 17 years in prison on a total of three immigration-related charges. Last …","protected":false},"author":1959,"featured_media":58290,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[857,140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-58283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-russian-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":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58283","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\/1959"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58283"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58283\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59113,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58283\/revisions\/59113"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58290"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58283"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58283"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58283"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}