Ock Soo Park
Ock Soo Park (born June 2, 1944) is an evangelist based in Gangnam, Seoul, South Korea. He founded the Good News Mission, a Christian based new religious movement also known as Guwonpa.[1] He has also founded other organizations, including the Gracias Choir and Orchestra and the International Youth Fellowship (IYF). According to the IYF, he has met with 29 state heads from 23 countries to discuss issues to do with education.[2]
Ock Soo Park | |
|---|---|
| 박옥수 | |
 | |
| Born | June 2, 1944 Seonsan, Gyeongbuk Province, Korea |
| Nationality | South Korean |
| Occupation | Evangelist |
| Known for | Founder and Senior Pastor of Good News Mission |
| Spouse |
Myung Soon Kim (m. 1971) |
| Children | Yeong Kook Park (son) Eun Sook Park (daughter) |
| Website | http://www.ocksoopark.com |
Early life
Park was a student at Seonsan Middle School where he met a missionary from WEC International in England, and was recruited as a missionary student. He joined the missionary school established by WEC International in 1962.
Ministry career
As a minister, Park has founded several organizations.
The Good News Mission was founded in 1972 as a missionary school. The organization runs a number of churches throughout South Korea, and sends missionaries abroad.[3] A fraud/scam case against Park and the Good News Mission ended in an acquittal by Korea's Supreme Court; the charge was that Park had sold stock fraudulently to church members and "raked in unlawful profits", but the Supreme Court held that "it is hard to regard Park as an accomplice".The two lower courts also earlier made a verdict that found Park not guilty.[4]
In 2000, Park founded the Gracias Choir, an orchestra and choral ensemble which travels with Park on his international tours.[5] The choir has won various prizes in choir festivals, including the 2015 Marktoberdorf Choral Competition in Germany.[6]
The International Youth Fellowship (IYF) is a Christian-based NGO which Park established in 2001. It has branches in a number of countries,[7] and also operates the "Good News Corps" for college students.
Park has travelled and delivered sermons internationally. In 2016 he was invited to preach a sermon at the "King's Prayer Meeting" in Swaziland (now Eswatini), which was broadcast by the national radio station.[8]
Books
Park has published a number of books, through his publishing house Good News Publishing, or using self-publishing companies such as Kindle Direct Publishing and Tate Publishing & Enterprises. Titles include
- The Secret of Forgiveness of Sin and Being Born Again (1997), ISBN 9788985422369
- Out from despair (2004), ISBN 9788985422758
- Repentance and Faith (2005), ISBN 9788985422826
- Cain and Abel: The Secret of Forgiveness of Sin and Being Born Again (2005), ASIN B006K4BEZA
- Notes on Genesis 1 (2008), ISBN 9788985422963
- Notes on Genesis 2 (2008), ISBN 9788985422956
- Navigating the Heart: Who Is Dragging You (2013), ISBN 9781628543230
- Standing on the field of the heart (2018), ASIN B07K7NX3KP
- How I Became Free from Sin (2018), ASIN B07MR2M9LV
- Lectures on Offerings of Leviticus - A Four-Book Set (2019), ISBN 9788964430330
- It Is God That Justifieth (2020), ASIN B08DDG9LMB
References
- Kim, Dawid W.; Bang, Won-il (2019). "Guwonpa, WMSCOG, and Shincheonji: Three Dynamic Grassroots Groups in Contemporary Korean Christian NRM History". Religions. 10 (3): 212. doi:10.3390/rel10030212. hdl:1885/204914.
- Kan, Hyeong-woo (2021-07-08). "[Herald Interview] 'Mind education can change a lot'". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
- "How We Started". GOOD NEWS MISSION. Retrieved 2020-02-23.
- Kim, Yon-se (July 13, 2017). "Pastor Park acquitted of stock fraud charges". The Korea Herald. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
- "25,000 fill Gocheok Dome to attend Gracias concert". The Korea Herald. July 11, 2017.
- "Korean choir grabs top award at international competition". June 2015.
- "International Youth Fellowship". iyf.org. Retrieved 2020-02-23.
- "IYF Founder Pastor Ok-Soo Park preaches at Swaziland National Event".