North Korea is one of the most dangerous nations in the world to share about Jesus and no one knows that better than Peter.
On this Memorial Day weekend in America, I have the privilege of sitting down with a former missionary to North Korea who spent most of his life as a secret missionary. He has never been able to tell his story until now.
Peter is not your normal missionary. He was born in North Korea prior to the Korean War. His family made the long dangerous trek to the south when he was only a young boy. He was tasked with carrying his baby brother on his back through the mountains at night. When he arrived on the other side of the border, he discovered his brother had died.
Peter eventually went to America to attend university in California, but never forgot his roots. He could never shake the burden of how desperate his fellow countrymen were for the Good News of Jesus Christ. He found it impossible to live a life of comfort in California while people in North Korea suffered.
Almost 30 years ago, he made his way to China and began running secret missions into North Korea. “I secretly crossed the border at night between China and North Korea,” he recalled. “At first I was alone and scared, but I learned how to do it and grew more comfortable.”
Peter made friends with border guards and began supplying them with things that they needed like food and fuel. Over time, he was able to gain their trust and was able to arrange Bibles and Christian materials.
It was not long after that, that he built a relationship with the highest echelons of the North Korean government and launched several projects that completely transformed the shape of North Korean cities.
Peter started transportation companies that reshaped the commerce of cities. He launched a fertilizer factory that increased production on North Korean farms by more than 200%. He was able to establish one of the first trade companies that allowed South Korean consumers purchase North Korean made goods directly.
These open doors allowed Peter to smuggle in Bibles, support underground house churches, provide platforms for North Korean evangelists, and share the Good News of Jesus Christ in a way that has never been told until now.
Peter’s time in North Korea ended when he was arrested and thrown into prison, but his work continues on.
Peter’s story shows North Korea in a way that it has never been seen before and he is sharing it exclusively with BTJ. His story will be available at the later part of 2025.
