Joseph often says that North Korea is not a land of darkness, merely a land with darkness
When recalling his past, warm childhood memories and gripping hardship are shared in the same breath. His father died of starvation when Joseph was just 12 years old. But the enduring impact of his father’s love, memorialized in the name he gave to Joseph — Kim Kwang Jin, which means “walking forward with brightness” — has become the foundation for Joseph’s life.
In a free North Korea, Joseph dreams of returning to his hometown in Hoeryong, to see if the pear tree his father had planted is still there. It’s a dream that may sound impossible, but he survived a famine and crossed the North Korean border in broad daylight. Overcoming the impossible has become a familiar part of Joseph’s story, one that LiNK is honored to be a part of.