By 
Korean-American missionary Robert Park with photos of North Korean children suffering from famine prays during a press conference in front of the Chinese Cosulate in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Dec. 3, 2010. Park released following 43 days of captivity for illegally crossing into North Korea said Wednesday that he had been tortured in the communist country. [Christian Today via reader tip]
You can read a whole lot more at the link.
Part of me has to admire the tenacity of Robert Park to continue to advocate for North Korean refugees because few people do, but if you read the full article he just comes across as being mentally not all there unfortunately which may unfortunately turn people off from the cause he is promoting. Maybe I am wrong, what does everyone else think?
6:43 am on December 13th, 2010 1
His new look is certain to appeal to the 50 year old crazy homeless woman demographic.
8:24 am on December 13th, 2010 2
8:25 am on December 13th, 2010 3
He aged 25 years and became a woman?
8:35 am on December 13th, 2010 4
If I were in Seoul, I'd go talk with him.
Like GI Korea, some part of me admires his zeal — and he certainly is on the right side of this issue — while feeling he is also disturbed in a way masked by that same zeal.
But I'll support him as long as he dispenses with egomaniacal stunts that put innocents in harm's way.
9:37 am on December 13th, 2010 5
He would be better off helping the underground railroad than trying to martyr himself.
2:37 pm on December 13th, 2010 6
I suspect he could use some more torture.
5:18 pm on December 13th, 2010 7
I really don’t believe that’s him.
12:18 am on December 14th, 2010 8
Here is a more flattering picture of Robert Park.
http://www.x17online.com/images/photo-sets/conv/m…
12:24 am on December 14th, 2010 9
Hard to believe this is the same guy. It 'looks like' he might need some counselling before he goes back. (Pictures often lie, too.) Severe trauma like that, maybe even more so in males than females, has got to leave a mark that needs to be worked out before he should return. I do not know his call from God, and do not claim to, and many good men have been called to put themselves in harms way for the Gospel, so that may very well be what he is supposed to do. That's why martyrs have a special place in heaven. But he needs to get himself help and get better before he can do much good for others.
2:39 am on December 14th, 2010 10
Maybe just that picture but it looks like he is or should be on some meds.
I know he didn't need a visa to get back to Korea but I hope someone is keeping an eye on him and his followers. Who knows what others may be inspired to do by his example? Some believe suffering and martyrdom is necessary for the salvation of their soul. You know the Passions of Christ and all that?
However he travels, if I saw him at an airport, I'd be concerned about getting on the same plane.
3:13 am on December 14th, 2010 11
I don't think I'd drink any of the Kool-Aid he might offer at one of his rallies. 2-3,000 years ago people could hear God talking to them and then maybe end up a martyr and consequently getting their names in the Bible. Nowadays if someone hears God talking they end up on a locked psychiatric unit and they're called schizophrenics. I think he was NQR (Not Quite Right) before he was welcomed with open zippers in NK. He can't be any better now. His cause is certainly relevant and I'm sure he's committed to it, but the leader of a cause often sets the tone for what others think of it.
10:22 am on December 14th, 2010 12
I'm not fond of putting a religious explanation onto something that can be rationally explained. So, I wouldn't say he's a martyr in he traditional sense of the word, but Mr. Park is indeed fighting a just cause, regardless of his religious beliefs and motivations. But, one thing…If that is really him in the picture, he looks gaunt and old beyond his years. He would appear to be in need of care, or at least a long rest. Otherwise, he risks running into much greater health issues that will prevent him from doing what he feels so passionate about.