A sparkle in the land of Kim Jong Un

Yoo Yoon talks to the orphans during lunch time in Wonsan, North Korea

While most of the public see North Korea as an obscure nation ruled by a totalitarian regime, Yoo Yoon sees it as nation of hungry people. When the media focuses on a capricious leader, this South Korean missionary concentrates on what he estimates to be 22 million that live in extreme poverty. That is why, year round, his work concentrates on fundraising to deliver corn and a few other supplies twice a year.

The beneficiaries are about 1200 students from three schools for orphans, and the patients of a medical center in Wonsan, a city located in the Kangwon province, two hours east of Pyongyang. When he is in town, Yoon visits with students, meets with teachers, and quietly prays for the myriad of needs that he sees around. “We are very limited in the kinds of supplies that we can bring. Government policies make it very difficult to reach those in need”, he explains.

While the orphanages are run by the government through a local school district, the supplies are very limited. These 1200 children live and study in buildings that lack refrigerators, washing or drying machines, and even balls for playtime. Besides corn, Yoon is allowed to deliver powder milk and soup, children’s vitamins, appliances, and recreational items like balls and musical instruments. “The teachers would really like to have one or two accordions to teach the children”, he points out.  

Yoon narrates the story of Jesus 'the Great Physician' . 

Yoon’s words for North Korea’s regime and policies are scarce. He is closely followed by intelligence agencies of both the United States and North Korea. “I am working for the people, not for a government”, he tells officers every time they interview him. “I have to concentrate on the ways we can help these children, who need food, shelter, and love”, he adds. 

Yoo Yoon worked for the Korean community in Dallas for 27 years before starting his work with orphans. The North Korean Christian Federation —through North Korea’s UN office in New York— contacted him, along with 20 other ministers, to help the hungry.

“We went to North Korea for the first time in 1995. Severe flooding had ruined their crops for the previous years, and the Soviet Union was not subsidizing them anymore”, he clarifies. Today, only one other minister who started the relief effort still raise funds for the people of North Korea. As Yoon explains, the aid sent by the World Food Program (WFO) does not reach everyone. “The orphans and the sick in Wonsan are the focus of our mission”.

According to a document from the Congressional Research Service, sending food to North Korea represents a serious dilemma for the United States. On one side, it is likely that the supplies end up being sold in markets, instead of being distributed to the people in need. On the other side, it allows the North Korean government to allocate money in other activities, neglecting the obligation to feed their own people.

So far, Yoon has been able to deliver about 60 tons of corn twice a year. It all goes to the orphanages and the clinic. Other supplies are difficult to come by, since it all depends on the generosity of people.

June Yoon visits with some of the 300 preschoolers at the orphanage.  

During her second visit to Wonsan, Yoon’s wife, June Yoon, met with teachers from the elementary school. They asked for a freezer to store the produce that local fishermen donate during the summer months. “It was very painful for her to experience how easy it is to see their needs, but how difficult it is to ask for the money” recalls Yoon. Currently, one church in Dallas and the Korean-American Sharing Movement of Dallas contribute to the mission.

Noodles produced with corn shipped by Yoon's mission. 

Besides collecting money for North Korea, Yoon works with impoverished communities in Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines. “It is a joy to visit with them. There is poverty, but they have freedom to worship their God. There is hope in the people of Southeast Asia”, he declared. 

 An unlikely encounter

Yoon’s latest visit to North Korea coincided with the ceremonies honoring Kim Jung Il in the second anniversary of his death. He received an invitation to the services and stayed to see a memorial. While waiting in the hotel’s lobby, he saw Dennis Rodman with his bodyguards. “Without thinking, I ran towards him, greeted him, and said that I was also a Texan wanting to help the North Korean people”, he explained. Even though the encounter was brief, it fueled Yoon’s ideas on how to form alliances to better serve the orphans. Thanks to donations from churches in Texas, Yoon bought 500 soccer balls along with 60 tons of corn in December. The teachers at the schools know that physical activity will benefit the children in Wonsan. “I pray that my encounter with Rodman will be the first step in forming new alliances to reach the people of North Korea”, he concluded.

Yoon's plans to deliver soccer balls and basketballs to the orphanages. 

For more information on Yoo Yoon’s mission, contact kasmdallas@hanmail.net, yyoon6254@gmail.com or glorychurch@sbcglobal.net the phone numbers are 972-897-9830 or 214-587-6254.