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Deacon Jang* is a Chinese citizen of Korean descent. Jang, also known by his Chinese name, Zhang Wen Si, was abducted from Chinese territory in November 2014 while waiting at the river border between North Korea and China to help North Koreans in need. He had built a ministry providing humanitarian assistance and sharing his Christian faith with those who crossed into China seeking food, medicine, and shelter.
He was sent to North Korea (No. 1 on Open Doors' 2026 World Watch List), where authorities sentenced him to 15 years in prison on charges including "defaming the regime" and "attempting to incite subversion"—accusations stemming from his Christian work among North Korean visitors.
"We never thought he would survive his sentence, yet he has returned home."
Simon Lee*, Open Doors' coordinator for ministry among North Koreans
Praise God, he was released in November 2025 after more than a decade. He is slowly recovering at home in China, though the physical toll of his detention is severe. According to sources close to the deacon in China, Jang returned from captivity bearing the unmistakable marks of prolonged suffering.
His condition upon release was alarming. All of his teeth were gone except for his molars. He was extremely thin, looking like someone who had not eaten for days. His skin had become dry and tough, and all his hair had turned completely white. The once-vibrant deacon needed several weeks of home recovery before he regained the strength to even venture outside.
Jang was released under a special amnesty—a rare occurrence for prisoners detained on religious grounds. Sources close to the deacon indicate that three factors contributed to his release: his exemplary conduct in prison, where he served as a model prisoner for others; the timing of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea; and the fact that he had completed exactly 11 years of his sentence.
The release represents a significant departure from North Korea's typical handling of foreign-linked Christian prisoners, who are rarely freed early or transferred back to their home countries (with the exception of a few Americans in the recent past).
Despite his physical suffering, Jang's greatest concern during his imprisonment was not for himself but for his family. Throughout his captivity, he worried constantly that his loved ones might have abandoned their Christian faith because of his arrest.
After recovering enough strength to attend church services, Jang expressed profound gratitude to God. He discovered that far from departing from the Lord, his entire family had continued attending church faithfully and had prayed for him throughout the 11 years of his detention. This revelation brought him tremendous joy and thanksgiving.
However, Jang's ordeal is not entirely over. Since returning to China, he has been regularly summoned by police and other security departments for interrogation. These ongoing interrogations add another layer of stress to a man already recovering from severe physical and psychological trauma. Please pray for his full recovery of body and spiritual peace in the Lord.
While Jang's release offers a glimmer of hope, the situation for other imprisoned Christians in North Korea remains dire. Three South Korean missionaries—Kim Jung-wook, Kim Kook-kie, and Choi Chungil—are still being held in North Korea, each detained in separate incidents connected to Christian ministry near the border with China. Three additional North Koreans who later gained South Korean citizenship are also believed to remain imprisoned, reportedly after abduction or forced repatriation.
Open Doors estimates that between 50,000 and 70,000 North Korean Christians are currently imprisoned across the country's vast system of labor camps and detention facilities. Most were arrested simply for owning a Bible, meeting secretly for worship, or having contact with Christians outside the country.
Jang's release shows that anything may be possible, even in a place like North Korea where hope seems distant.
"The release of Deacon Jang must give a boost to our prayers," says Simon Lee*, Open Doors' coordinator for ministry among North Koreans. "We never thought he would survive his sentence, yet he has returned home. Let us pray that many Christians currently imprisoned will be released too."
Lee emphasizes the need for continued prayer—for Jang's physical and emotional healing, for his safety amid the Chinese interrogations, and for the thousands of other believers who remain imprisoned in North Korea.
For now, Deacon Jang is home, surrounded by his family who never stopped praying for him. His survival stands as a testament to both human endurance and the power of faith sustained through the darkest circumstances.
*Names changed for security reasons.
