Christian missionary Jang Moon Seok has been released after eleven years of imprisonment in North Korea. In October 2020, the International Society for Human Rights (ISHR), together with the Evangelical News Agency, presented his story to the public as part of their “Prisoner of the Month” campaign and called for appeals to North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.

Jang was abducted from Changbai, China, by North Korean agents in November 2014, formally arrested in North Korea, and ultimately sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment. He resided in the border city with North Korea and had since adopted the Chinese name Zhang Wen Shi. As was later revealed, the charges against him were “defaming the regime” and “attempting to incite subversion.” Out of Christian charity, the Christian helped North Korean border crossers who depended on trade on both sides of the border or who sought medicine or other necessities on the Chinese side. Jang, also known as Zhang, supported many of them by providing them with shelter or clothing. He also spoke about his faith, which some embraced.

Together with Pastor Han Chung-Ryeol, he taught the Christian faith to those who asked. Pastor Han, who also had Korean roots, was stabbed to death by one or more unknown assailants in Changbei on April 30, 2016.