South Korea - Save the Persecuted Christians

Summary of Pastor Hyun-bo Son

Prominent Evangelical Leader: Grew Segero Church from a struggling 20-member rural congregation into one of South Korea’s most influential churches, baptizing about 800 annually for 15+ years.
Personal Integrity: Famous for his vow never to accept any honorarium, no matter the event outside Segero Church (very rare in Korea)
Faith Through Trials: Endured extreme persecution during military service, yet evangelized his entire Special Forces unit, earning the nickname “Special Forces Pastor.”
Segero Church Growth: Took leadership in 1993; within 3 months membership exceeded 100. Renamed to Segero (“To the World”) Church in 2003. Today, more than 4,000 weekly attendees gather in a 5,500-seat sanctuary.
Public Witness: Stood firm during COVID-19 lockdowns, holding outdoor services despite government bans.
National Rallies: Organized large prayer rallies and civic movements, including the 1027 United Worship in 2024 (over 1 million attendees on- and offline) and ongoing Save Korea rallies nationwide in 2025.
Legal Controversy: Arrested in September 2025 for alleged election law violations, sparking national debate over religious freedom and freedom of speech.

The General Assembly of Presbyterian Church in Korea (biggest denomination in Korea) released statement “The arrest of Pastor Son is not merely a personal issue, but a grave situation that threatens the freedom of religion guaranteed by the Constitution and the ministry of the Church.”
Han Dong-hoon – Former Conservative party (People Power Party) leader, former Attorney General called the arrest unfair; said election law charges were excessive.
Na Kyung-won – One of People Power Party leaders, former judge, warned of disproportionate law application.
Kim Moon-soo – 2025 Presidential candidate for conservative party, condemned it as political retaliation and religious persecution.
Choi Jae-hyung – Former Auditor General, former judge, Said remarks were opinions, not campaigning. Criticized the arrest as excessive state power and warned Lee Jae-myung that “arrogant power will face the people.”

Accusation: Illegal electioneering during the 2025 Busan Education Superintendent re-election & 21st Presidential Election.
Charges based on:
- Pre-election campaigning (during Sunday sermons, prayer meetings)
- Using pulpit/religious authority
- Using sound systems
- Uploading sermons/rallies to YouTube
Prosecution’s View: Sermons, prayer meetings, YouTube uploads = disguised election rallies.

No direct call to vote – Law requires explicit “vote for/against X.” None found.
Routine church activity – Microphones, livestreams, YouTube = long-standing practices, not political tools.
Religious freedom – Sermons naturally address moral/social issues; protected under the Constitution.
No concealment or flight risk – Pastor Son has lived in Busan for 30+ years; all sermons are already public.

Mar 16, 2025 – Church service dialogue with candidate → framed as faith-based Q&A, not campaigning.
Mar 20, 2025 – Worship inside election office → ordinary service, not rally.
Mar 23 & 30, 2025 – Sermons livestreamed → part of ongoing ministry.
Mar 29, 2025 – Save Korea Rally → prayer revival, not partisan campaigning.
May 9, 2025 – National fasting/prayer → annual religious event.
May 4–Jun 1, 2025 – Sermons/videos critical of politicians → commentary, not explicit endorsements.
May 18, 2025 – Revival event remarks → opinion statements, not vote solicitation.
Jun 1, 2025 – Final pre-election sermon → moral guidance, not campaigning.

Prosecution is stretching ordinary church worship into “election crimes.”
Legal core missing: no explicit appeal for votes.
Pastor Son’s case raises major issues of religious freedom, speech, and state overreach.

Pastor Son Hyun-bo, senior pastor of Segero Church (Busan, 4,000 members), was arrested on September 9, 2025 by Judge Eom Sung-hwan.
Arrest warrant claimed he was a “flight risk” after asking a Superintendent of Education candidate questions during a Sunday service.

No legal basis: Korean law allows detention only if no residence, risk of evidence destruction, or intent to flee. Pastor Son has lived openly, preached weekly, cooperated with investigations, and left videos public on YouTube.
Disproportionate: Normal election-law violations lead to fines, not imprisonment.
Political retaliation: He openly criticized Lee Jae-myung, suggesting political motives behind the arrest.
Double standards: Same judge spared pro-North Korea activists in 2017 with suspended sentences but jailed a pastor defending democracy.
Comparative case: Pastor Jun Kwang-hoon won damages in 2024–2025 after unlawful excessive restriction—Son’s case mirrors this violation.

Korean Constitution: Article 20 (religious freedom), Article 12 (liberty, protection from arbitrary detention).
ICCPR: Article 18 (freedom of religion), Article 9 (protection against arbitrary detention).
Korea, as a State Party, is obligated to uphold these rights.
Criminalizing a pastor’s preaching = suppression of religion, liberty, and free expression.