The American-led Protestant missions in Korea achieved perhaps the most rapid and complete transformation of a nation in the history of Christianity, but they disappeared into almost complete obscurity by the time that the Korean War forced Americans to pay attention to Korea.

Few Americans realize that Fourth of July celebrations once occurred in a place where they are now inconceivable: Pyongyang, now the capital of North Korea.

During WWII, children of the American Christian missionaries in Korea served in significant roles in the U.S. government and sought to direct U.S. attention and efforts toward Korea.

The spread of Christianity in Korea and the city of Pyongyang, described in Part I, and the rise of Korean…

The arrival and early growth of Christianity in Korea coincided with the fall of Korea to the Empire of Japan and the emergence of a Korean independence movement. The first generation of Korean Christians became the main leaders of the independence movement, and they established a connection between Korean national identity and Christianity that has continued into the 21st Century.

North Korea, known for the totalitarian rule of Kim Il Sung’s family, once was the center of Christianity in Northeast Asia, its capital Pyongyang renowned as the “Jerusalem of the East.” This forgotten era has renewed relevance today as reports of underground Christianity come from North Korea and while the regime’s grip on society weakens.