• The Korean Orphan choir came to our city in the 50s-60s and some came to our church—as I remember. Pierce brought the choir to the USA to build awareness and support. I have been curious about the spiritual state of Korea since then, and when we started working in churches that shared their buildings with Korean congregations—then when Pastor Cho and his church became a world-wide sensation. Then the Methodist Korean church in Seoul, Korea became huge by any measure.

The Korean Church has been graced (“You shall bless the nations….) to teach us about prayer and evangelism. Twenty-seven thousand missionaries have been sent from South Korea to cities around the world. The mountain top prayer gatherings are a phenomenon. There may be some, but I know nothing in USA to compare.

Some weeks ago, I sensed that Kim Yong Un had a spiritual awakening and wondered if that could be true and if so, how. A pastor from South Korea filled in blanks for me. Before the Korean War, North Korea was the spiritual center of Korea, experiencing awakenings and revivals. When it became evident that the war would change North Korea, the pastors went south. They became leaders of what became the SoKo mega-churches, while the NoKo communists destroyed the church buildings. The Church went underground to sing silently and to whisper their prayers.

In the early 70s, the North Korean government was collapsing. The SoKo churches built an evangelism plan to take supplies and the Gospel north. A central leadership of all denominations built a plan to plant—replant—3000 churches. The collapse did not happen—I think it survived because of China’s intervention. The SoKo churches worked on their plan of taking the Gospel to their families and fellow Koreans for four years. The plan is still in place.

In a Christianity Today interview, the SoKo pastor said that every SoKo church prays in every public worship event for the North and for government leadership.

The freedom in SoKo has brought a huge economic lift. Lance Wallnau tells mighty stories of his leadership conferences and God’s call to business and government. Many of your high technology devices are from Korea. Many business leaders are Jesus people.

This very well could be Korea’s time for breath-taking conversions—beginning with Kim Jong-un. It will take some time for NoKo to break out of the slavery mindset, much like Israel coming out of Egypt.

We know Koreans. They are uniquely wired in the Spirit. We have talked to Koreans in the USA on assignment and have heard them sing and pray. They are especially graced for evangelism and making connections. I sense beneath all the horrors over many decades, there is a Kingdom foundation that is soon going to push through the surface.

How does a born again Kim Jon-un make that public? How does he make restitution? Who will disciple him? Soul-stirring to contemplate and pray for.

Jesus, we celebrate the foundation of belief in North Korea. I speak Kim Jong-un’s name to You. Holy Spirit, however You work the redemption call and conviction, we invite you to enter his world and secret heart places to reveal the Father, the Son and Yourself. Thank you and praise You for commitments that no one should perish. Let it be so!

Dean dean@deanbenton.org