THE KUKMIN DAILY

A black van came up the hill in the spring sunshine. Its grey-haired driver, Rev. Gwak Shin (71·photo), was the elder pastor of Dunnae Church in Hoengseong, Gangwon-do. As he exited the van, I noticed that he wore the Justice Ministry’s correctional committee member ID card necklace. From the van, he unloaded 40 white towels and five boxes of dumplings (a total of 25 orders).

I met Rev. Gwak at the entrance to Wonju Correctional Facility in Gangwon-do. Since 1987, for nearly 30 years, he has been communicating the will of God to inmates of Wonju Prison. He said, “Every Wednesday, I study the catechism with the inmates. Today I’m going to conduct a maundy ceremony for the first time. So I brought some towels, too.”

An hour or so after Rev. Gwak went into the prison, he returned, having completed the maundy ceremony and Bible study. I asked him the reason for his devotion to prison mission. He told me a story that dated back to a spring day in 1987 when he was the head pastor of Pyeongan Church in Wonju.

“Wonju Prison contacted me, asking for 50 hymnals. They asked me to come to the prison and deliver a sermon. That’s how I first came to visit the prison. I thought, ‘If Jesus returns, he will visit prisons first to meet the sinners.’ Then it became clear to me that I was called to prison mission.”

For the next 10 years, from 1987, Rev. Gwak visited Wonju Prison with his church members whenever they could go, leading worship services and providing counseling. His prison visits became regular from 1997. He went to the prison every Wednesday, and always brought snacks with him. Since that time, he has studied the catechism with the inmates to teach them the basics of Christianity.

“The snacks, such as sweet bread, ddeok, and fruit, cost more than 10 million won a year. In buying them, my principle is to buy the best product. It feels greatly rewarding to meet inmates who encounter the Lord through me.”

Every year when he conducts the ceremony of baptism, Rev. Gwak hands out small wooden cross necklaces to the inmates as gifts. He said, “When I give the cross, I emphasize, ‘This is not an ornament. It is proof that Jesus died for us.’” More than 1,000 inmates have come to the Christian faith through Rev. Gwak.

This is his 30th year in prison mission, so he has many stories to share. In 2007, a prisoner made a donation of one million won to be used for mission in Africa. The donation was his accumulated savings from his daily wages in prison over several years. At the time, this prisoner was paid 2,000 won a day.

“When I meet inmates, I often tell them, ‘I, too, am a sinner. The only difference is that my sins are not revealed yet. I can assure you that accepting the Holy Spirit makes even a sinner be born again as a good person. I have seen many such persons myself, so I can guarantee this.’”

Gwak used to work at Wonju City Hall as a public official. In his thirties, he decided to become a pastor. He served at Pyeongan Church from 1981 to 2009, and at Dunnae Church from 2009 until his retirement on April 6 this year. He said, “I would like to work as a missionary in Indonesia or Kenya for the rest of my life.

“Even if I go abroad, I will definitely visit prisons when I come to Korea. The inmates wait, and not just for their lovers. (He laughed.) The prison is one of the churches that I serve.”

Article and phohto by reporter Park Ji Hun (lucidfall@kmib.co.kr), from Wonju, with Yeara Ahn-Park (yap@kmib.co.kr)


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