Until the age of fifty, Seung-Whan (Steven) Kim, a Korean-American businessman dedicated his life to financial prosperity at the expense of both family and faith. He had earned and lost millions several times over until, in China, his business in shambles, Kim returned to Christian fellowship, rediscovered the value of family, and received a calling to help North Korean refugees escape from human trafficking, torture, and execution. In 2003, Kim was arrested and convicted of harboring refugees and leading them along an underground railroad, and he spent the next four years in Chinese labor camps. In his suffering and hardship, he immersed himself in Scripture and led a secret prison ministry, serving fellow inmates, a guard, and even a mob boss. Since his release, Kim has been a powerful advocate for North Korean refugees, especially women and children, raising awareness about their plight and fighting for their human rights. Kim's story is a thrilling, heart-breaking, and inspirational account of the spiritual victory of a real-life freedom fighter.About the AuthorCarl Herzig was born and raised in New York City. He has authored and edited numerous works of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry and served as an Iowa Humanities Scholar. He leads service-learning trips to India and is professor of English at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, where he teaches courses in sacred poetry, contemporary fiction, and creative and expository writing.Today, Steven Kim's home in Huntington, New York, is a stark contrast to the prison cells he shared with dozens of felons. He now runs 318 Partners, a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to rescuing trafficked women in China. It's named after Article 318 of the Chinese criminal code, the law under which Kim was arrested in September 2003 for trying to help nine North Korean refugees escape to South Korea through Vietnam.
Until the age of fifty, Seung-Whan (Steven) Kim, a Korean-American businessman dedicated his life to financial prosperity at the expense of both family and faith. He had earned and lost millions several times over until, in China, his business in shambles, Kim returned to Christian fellowship, rediscovered the value of family, and received a calling to help North Korean refugees escape from human trafficking, torture, and execution. In 2003, Kim was arrested and convicted of harboring refugees and leading them along an underground railroad, and he spent the next four years in Chinese labor camps. In his suffering and hardship, he immersed himself in Scripture and led a secret prison ministry, serving fellow inmates, a guard, and even a mob boss. Since his release, Kim has been a powerful advocate for North Korean refugees, especially women and children, raising awareness about their plight and fighting for their human rights. Kim's story is a thrilling, heart-breaking, and inspirational account of the spiritual victory of a real-life freedom fighter.About the AuthorCarl Herzig was born and raised in New York City. He has authored and edited numerous works of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry and served as an Iowa Humanities Scholar. He leads service-learning trips to India and is professor of English at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, where he teaches courses in sacred poetry, contemporary fiction, and creative and expository writing.Today, Steven Kim's home in Huntington, New York, is a stark contrast to the prison cells he shared with dozens of felons. He now runs 318 Partners, a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to rescuing trafficked women in China. It's named after Article 318 of the Chinese criminal code, the law under which Kim was arrested in September 2003 for trying to help nine North Korean refugees escape to South Korea through Vietnam.
