He’s endured more than 20 lawsuits, a police raid on his church and home, and finally an arrest. Today, Pastor Hyun-bo Son resides in a prison cell.
If it happened in North Korea it would hardly be newsworthy. But this story takes place south of the 38th parallel.
Since 1993 Pastor Son has preached at Segero Church in Busan, South Korea.
“When my father started serving at Segero Church, there were only around 20 people. And now, weekly, there are over 4,000 people,” Chance Son told The Western Journal in a phone interview.
Pastor Son’s faith in God and his charismatic leadership drove his success as a pastor.
Those same qualities, however, also made him a threat to South Korea’s Democratic Party.
His persecution began during the COVID lockdowns in December 2020.
Only 20 members could gather at a church, no matter the congregation size, Son said.
“My father’s church is built to have 6,000 people. However, allowing just five people or 20 people, however the government wants — he rejected,” Son said.
Pastor Son continued preaching, sometimes hosting services with 1,000 attendees.
And when the government shut down Segero Church in January 2021, Pastor Son simply moved the service outside.
“Thankfully, there’s a big yard,” Son said.
Because of his defiance, and the public backlash, the government reopened the church days later.
That was strike one.
Later that same year, the government introduced the Anti-Discrimination Act.
The proposed law supported homosexuality and other LGBT initiatives, like de-criminalizing gay relationships in the military, according to Amnesty International.
It might have passed the National Assembly had it not been for Son, who united South Korean pastors against it.
On Oct. 27, 2024, 1 million Christians and protesters filled the streets of downtown Seoul and surrounded the National Assembly building. Meanwhile, another million protesters joined online, Son said.
This is the truth the world needs to see: my father, Pastor Son, jailed in Korea for standing on God’s Word and refusing to bow to anti-Biblical education. They raided his church, seized phones, filed 20+ lawsuits, and now jailed him. This video tells the story. #ReligiousFreedom pic.twitter.com/W52eZ112Hi
— Chance Son (@ChanceSon1226) September 8, 2025
“Ever since then, until now, no politician has mentioned about the comprehensive Anti-Discrimination law,” Chance Son told The Western Journal.
That was strike two against the stubborn pastor.
In January he initiated “Save Korea,” organizing national prayer rallies to combat political tyranny.
The rallies continued for months, as tens of thousands gathered to pray in Seoul, Busan, Daejeon, and Daegu.
Strike three.
The “incident” ultimately leading to his arrest happened in March, when Son interviewed Jeong Seung-yoon, a conservative candidate running for superintendent of education.
Son had interviewed him before his congregation at Segero Church.
“He was just briefly asking the candidate questions about how he will be pursuing education in terms of the LGBTQ, because that’s against the biblical values. And because of that, he has been under investigation for … the last four months,” Son said.
The National Election Committee filed numerous lawsuits against Son, alleging he violated election law by interviewing Seung-yoon days before an election.
Woke “pastors” also sued him, Son said.
Since the COVID era began, Pastor Son faced more than 20 lawsuits, mainly by the National Election Committee.
“They’re trying to lawfare him to death, similar to what they did to Trump,” said American pastor Rob McCoy, who’s close friends with Pastor Son. “They’re going to try to bog him down and bankrupt him. But he’s smart, and he’s committed, and he’s standing strong, and the church is committed to him.”
In May, police raided Segero Church and Son’s home in Busan.
On Sept. 8, they arrested him.
He’s been in jail ever since.
“Even if there were legal question about this, normally such cases, because he hasn’t done any crimes before, so these cases usually result in fines at most, not imprisonment or detainment,” Son said.
Pastor Son’s family plans to appeal the case and defend the pastor in court.
It’s been a week since my father was arrested and put behind bars. I haven’t been able to see his face or even hear his voice yet
At Segero Church yesterday, the pulpit was empty, yet pastors stepped up, and thousands cried out to God for freedom in KR and my father’s release pic.twitter.com/P1OiWX4cml
— Chance Son (@ChanceSon1226) September 15, 2025
In the meantime, Chance Son is sharing his dad’s story with as many who will listen.
He, as his father does, understands the power of prayer and peaceful protest.
“Before his arrest, he said, ‘Even if I get arrested, please come out more joyfully, please worship God even more faithfully, even pray to God and keep your relationship with God even more closely.’ That’s his spirit,” Son told The Western Journal.
“And I truly believe, as the Bible says, that God can even use what is meant for evil to bring about good. And I believe this persecution could actually spark a new revival in the Korean church.”
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