Page 245: Dan Chung: Following God Into the Unknown, Rescuing North Korean Refugees

The Unfolding

Northwestern Media

Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.9 • 809 Ratings

🗓️ 11 July 2025

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What happens when ordinary people decide to follow God, without a roadmap or plan, into some of the most dangerous places on earth? In this episode of The Unfolding, Dan Chung shares his incredible journey from a Korean immigrant growing up in Chicago to co-founding Crossing Borders, an organization dedicated to rescuing and supporting North Korean refugees fleeing unimaginable oppression. Dan’s story is a powerful example of how faith, brokenness, and a willingness to say “Send me” can change thousands of lives, even when the road ahead is unclear. You’ll hear about the harsh realities North Korean refugees face: starvation, human trafficking, and brutal persecution. And you’ll discover how God uses ordinary people, willing to step into the unknown, to bring hope and healing.

Content Warning: This episode contains stories of torture, starvation, and human trafficking that may be difficult to hear.

Show Notes:

Crossing Borders website: www.crossingbordersnk.org

Crossing Borders on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrossingBordersNK

Crossing Borders on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crossingbordersnk/?hl=en

Mike Kim’s book Escaping North Korea: https://www.amazon.com/Escaping-North-Korea-Defiance-Repressive/dp/0742567052

Transcript

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0:00.0	Page 245 of the unfolding is the story of Dan Chung.
0:04.9	I have been held up by the Border Patrol in China by soldiers with machine guns.
0:10.4	I'm not like this gifted, brave person.
0:13.4	God makes it clear that it was him, that it couldn't have been us.
0:16.7	He put me in the situation and he showed me what he can do.
0:21.2	God's story has been unfolding.
0:24.5	Since the beginning of time.
0:27.3	He invites you to be a part of it.
0:32.9	Another page in the unfolding.
0:37.4	Hey, this is Meredith Foster.
0:39.7	What would you do if you found out children were being sold as brides?
0:44.4	That people were starving to death just across a border.
0:48.1	That helping them could cost you your freedom, or maybe your life.
0:52.3	Most of us would be heartbroken.
0:56.2	We'd pray. Maybe we would donate.
1:02.9	Dan Chung and a handful of college friends, they decided to go. This is a story about being willing to follow God, even when the road isn't clear. It's about the crazy, bold faith to take on a huge
1:09.9	geopolitical problem because your heart has been broken and you
1:13.6	have faith in a God who sees and cares. What started as a conversation between Dan Chung and
1:20.0	friends turned into crossing borders, a quiet, courageous mission to help North Korean refugees
1:26.9	who are fleeing some of the worst
1:28.8	oppression in the world. In North Korea, people can be imprisoned or executed for things like
1:34.9	owning a Bible or trying to leave the country. Many risk their lives to escape, only to be trafficked,
	...

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