THE KUKMIN DAILY

Kukmin Daily has walked with the Korean church like a friend. It has been constant in spreading the gospel, in mission and in serving its neighbors, while guarding believers against the anti-Christianity, heresy, and pseudo-religions that attack the church. In celebration of our 25th birthday, we have looked back and selected 10 highlights of Kukmin Daily’s mission life.

1. Display of Christian life through exemplary stories and testimonies

‘Mustard Seed’ and ‘Fruits of Hardship’ are popular corners in the Mission Life section of Kukmin Daily. Most of the authors for ‘Mustard Seed’ are local pastors. In their short stories, they help readers to reflect on their lives as Christians. ‘Fruits of Hardship’ introduces numerous believers’ testimonies about how they overcame hardships. For example, Ms. Lee Ji-sun (photo), who was in a car accident and was burned all over her body, shared her new life thanks to God’s grace. Famous singer Yoon Bok-hee shared how she made her most famous song ‘Yoeroboon’ (‘All of You’) from listening to God’s voice.

2. Reporting of news about environmental disasters and appealing for help

Kukmin Daily visits disaster sites regardless of where they are. On December 7, 2007, the crash of a crane tugboat and an oil tanker in the West Sea caused the worst oil spill in Korean history. With the Korean churches, Kukmin Daily encouraged people to volunteer for cleanup activities, and campaigned for restoration of the West Sea. This year when super typhoon Haiyen hit the Philippines, Kukmin Daily quickly dispatched reporters to the scene and made international appeals for help.

3. Relief and Fund-Raising

Kukmin Daily has been a warm-hearted partner to Christian NGOs. In times of accident or disaster, Kukmin Daily has supported relief efforts and fundraising by broadcasting networks. Recently, Kukmin Daily is conducting on-going campaigns with international relief organizations such as World Vision and Food for the Hungry. For example, the ‘Miracle of 10,000 won’ campaign with Good People was very successful in attracting readers’ concern. This program supports hungry children in North Korea since 1999 through medical services.

4. Reporting on the reality of underground churches in North Korea and defectors

For reunification and evangelization, the Mission Life section of Kukmin Daily has made balanced reports about our North Korean compatriots, defectors, and the church in North Korea. Mission Life delivers news directly from North Korea: from the Chosun Christian Federation, the official channel of North Korean Christianity, and Bongsu Church. Also, Mission Life news covers the underground church in North Korea, defectors who have escaped to third countries, human rights and evangelization of defectors who reside in South Korea, etc. There are continuing reports, in cooperation with North Korea relief organizations, about fundraising for children in North Korea and prayer meetings for the passage of North Korea human rights legislation.

5. Putting a brake on religious discrimination by exposing KIRF identity

In May 2012, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea appointed the Korea Institute for Religious Freedom (KIRF) to carry out its survey on religious discrimination and violations of human rights. KIRF was established in 1998 at the initiative of Buddhist Solidarity for Reform. Since 2005, it has taken an aggressive attitude toward Protestants, and has been particularly active in banning religious education in mission schools, demanding separation of religion and politics by public officials, and raising questions against mega-churches. Kukmin Daily investigated and clarified that KIRF is in fact an interest group that safeguards Buddhism and derogates other religions. Kukmin Daily’s report on KIRF’s biased religious ideology got the attention not only of the religious sector but of the general public as well.