Senior US State Department officials recently met with Senior Pastor Son Hyun-bo of Segero Church in Busan, South Korea. The officials included Riley Barnes, assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights, and labor, and Julie Turner, acting deputy assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights, and labor, along with White House faith liaison Belsis Romero. The meeting, arranged after the US side’s outreach about a month ago, covered various issues in South Korea, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
The discussions at the church addressed topics such as a proposed law on dissolving religious corporations and a comprehensive anti-discrimination law. Pastor Son, who also leads Save Korea, a conservative Christian civic group, had organized rallies against the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol after his failed martial law bid in December 2024. Yoon was later sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for one year, for illegal election campaigning during the previous year’s presidential election.
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol faces charges of ordering drone incursions into Pyongyang during his tenure, with a court set to deliver its verdict this week. The Seoul Central District Court will hold a hearing for Yoon on Friday, where he is accused of benefiting the enemy and abuse of authority. A special counsel team has demanded a 30-year prison term for Yoon, who allegedly ordered drones over Pyongyang as a pretext to declare martial law in December 2024.
