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Main building of the Hope Channel Korea, 2020.

Photo courtesy of Hope Channel Korea.

Hope Channel, Korea

By Ji Hyun Ku

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Ji Hyun Ku graduated from the Department of Theology at Sahmyook University and the Department of Christian Education at the Graduate School of the same university. He started his ministry in 1996 and became a media ministry expert while working as a Sound PD and production director at the Media Center of the Korean Union Conference. After serving at the forefront of media missionary work for 24 years, he was appointed director of Hope Channel Korea in January 2021 and is in charge of the future of the media mission in Korea.

First Published: April 16, 2021

Hope Channel Korea began operating in July 2015 as a broadcasting service officially launched on Hope Channel, a world-class broadcasting mission media operated by the General Conference. Hope Channel, Korea, is operated by the Media Center of the Korea Union Conference (KUC). Its office is located at the headquarters of the KUC, and the studio is located within the campus of Sahmyook University. As of 2021 there are 11 staff personnel working in the department.1

Organization

In the 1990s, when Korean society entered the multimedia era, the KUC began to seek multimedia missionary work. In particular, the KUC promoted participation in the cable TV Christian channel project in 1995, and with this opportunity, a media center was established under the department of Public Relations of the KUC.2 In 1997 the Media Center of the KUC built a comprehensive broadcasting studio on the campus of Sahmyook University and actively promoted the operation of video mission programs and the video material. As a result of these efforts, infrastructure and know-how for media missionary work were established before the start of the new millennium.3

Ahead of 2000, the GC promoted the NET98, NET99, and ACT2000 satellite evangelism. The KUC also participated in the ACT2000 project and held a satellite evangelism at Sahmyook University from September 29 to October 8, 2000. In the process of preparing for this evangelism, the Media Center of the KUC established a satellite broadcasting infrastructure to produce and transmit satellite broadcasting programs for churches across the country.4 Thus, in the 2000s, the era of satellite broadcasting operated by the Korean Adventist Church opened.

In the 2010s, with the development of the Internet and the increase of smartphones, missionary work through SNS (Social Network Service) was activated, and the Media Center of the KUC established Adventist Village on the Web and promoted Internet missionary work such as providing video-streaming services. In particular, the KUC established its own channels on YouTube, Bimeo, Twitter, and Facebook to promote media missionary work using social networks and conducted various missionary-video services. At the same time, a smartphone application called "Adventist Village" was built, and mobile services were implemented.5

In particular, the Media Center of the KUC began to seek a connection project with Hope Channel, the official missionary broadcasting channel of the World Adventist Church. In 2014 the Media Center began streaming 24-hour Hope Channel International broadcasts run by the GC throughout Korea. And that year Every-on TV Channel 536 began to broadcast programs produced by the GC every day. The KUC, which was transmitting satellite broadcasting programs, officially launched Hope Channel Korea through a meeting with Hope Channel leaders at the General Meeting of the GC held in San Antonio, USA, in July 2015.6

History of the Institute

The Media Center of the KUC, which had been developing media missions through satellite broadcasting and Internet broadcasting, launched Hope Channel Korea, expanded and reorganized its production center, and produced various video materials. Videos produced in this production center are being transmitted through Adventist Village (Portal site of KDSA), KT Olleh IPTV CUG 836 channel, and Social Network Service (Facebook, Kakao Story, Twitter, etc.). The videos produced by the Hope Channel Korea are organized into a variety of contents, including talks, lectures, sermons, and worship broadcasts.

In 2016 Hope Channel Korea produced a total of 204 broadcast contents. The contents include 52 domestic and oversea mission field news, 14 Hope Channel Kids programs, 19 CC Stories (CCM broadcasting for Adventist Young people), 15 Cooing media, and 16 Coram Deo (Sermons broadcasting).7

In 2017 Hope Channel Korea's production center produced and transmitted a total of 251 video materials. Most of the productions were annual programs. In addition, in 2017, CCM videos of middle and high-school students were planned and produced, and 54 CCM videos were transmitted. The department of Sabbath School and Personal Ministries produced and distributed 47 missionary videos under the title of “Gamwoo” (Meaning the refreshing rain of the Holy Spirit). In particular, Hope Channel Korea broadcasted live various performance programs performed by various cultural-mission organizations belonging to the Korean Adventist Church, and in 2017 13 performance programs were broadcast live by Hope Channel Korea.8

In 2018 the number of video programs produced by Hope Channel Korea increased to 370. In particular, from August 8 to 11, 2018, the Northern Asia-Pacific Division held the International Mission Congress at KINTEX Exhibition Hall in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do,9 and Hope Channel Korea oversaw the video streaming service for this IMC and produced and transmitted 42 video materials. In addition, 13 theology courses were produced for laymen, and 10 Facts With Hope programs produced by the General Conference were dubbed and distributed in Korean. In addition, the production center produced five children's music video programs and one documentary ("Father").10

In 2019 the number of video materials produced by Hope Channel Korea increased to 438. In particular, the Ministerial Association Department of the KUC held a pastor's Bible Conference at Madalphy Training Center from December 2 to 4, 2019,11 and Hope Channel Korea recorded these seminar courses and produced 20 lecture materials. In addition, the production center produced video materials for pilgrimage to the Holy Land under the title of The Bible Land and Archaeology. In addition, since 2019, the Broadcasts of the Sabbath School Lesson has been officially produced and transmitted by Hope Channel Korea. In 2019 a men's quartet festival event was held at the Vision Center of the KUC, and 26 music programs were produced that recorded the event.12

The production and broadcast transmission of video data by Hope Channel Korea continued to expand. In 2020 various broadcast programs were distributed through Hope Channel Korea. In particular, in 2020, as non-face-to-face worship was strengthened due to COVID-19, church worship streaming services were provided, and various sermon programs were intensively produced. Hope Channel Korea produced and transmitted Sabbath services under the title of “Hope Sabbath” and broadcasted worship services to cope with COVID-19. In addition 11 praise-prayer programs were produced for the vesper program held on Friday. In addition, the production center produced a Stop-Smoking talk program organized by the International Temperance Association.13

At the 36th General Meeting of the KUC held in December 2020, Pastor Ji-hyun Ku was appointed as the director of Hope Channel Korea following Pastor Duk-hyun Um. In 2021 the KUC reorganized the existing Media Center into Hope Channel Korea and started anew for the development of media mission.14

Role and Position in the Country

The KUC established a media center in 1995 and has promoted media missionary work through new media such as broadcasting, satellite, Internet, and mobile. Since 2021 the KUC has reorganized the media center into Hope Channel Korea and has been expanding its media missionary work. Externally, Hope Channel Korea is playing a role in expanding the kingdom of God through gospel broadcasting. In order to spread the love of Christ and the gospel of Christianity to those who do not know God, Hope Channel Korea produces and transmits various new media mission programs. Through this ministry the KUC is carrying out the ministry of disciples who prove the love of Christ in Korean society.

In addition, Hope Channel Korea is strengthening its online worship function in preparation for the non-face-to-face era caused by COVID-19. Various sermon broadcasts and worship broadcasts produced by this production center provide missionary work to church members who have no choice but to worship at home due to the distance policy. As a result, Hope Channel Korea is playing a role as an online church.

As new media technologies and equipment expand in the era of the fourth industrial revolution, Hope Channel Korea has the task of investing a lot of budget to equip professionals and equipment. In addition, Hope Channel Korea has the task of producing various missionary video materials that can meet the needs of postmodern people. The KUC is praying to solve these challenges.

List of Directors

Duk-Hyun Um (2015-2020); Ji-Hyun Ku (2021- ).

Sources

Address Book of the Korean Union Conference, 2021. Seoul: Korean Union Conference, 2021.

Korean Adventist News Center, April 21, 2014; December 11, 2015; August 8, 2018; December 6, 2019; January 14, 2021.

Lee, Kuk Heon. A History of Korean Seventh-day Adventist Church. Seoul: Sahmyook University Press, 2021.

Minutes of the 36th General Meeting of the Korean Union Conference. Seoul: Korean Union Conference, 2020.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, 1996, 1996.

Notes

  1. Address Book of the Korean Union Conference, 2021 (Seoul: Korean Union Conference, 2021), 12.

  2. Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Silber Spring, MD: General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist, 1996), 73.

  3. Kuk Heon Lee, A History of Korean Seventh-day Adventist Church (Seoul: Sahmyook University Press, 2021), 296, 297.

  4. Ibid., 339-341.

  5. Korean Adventist News Center, April 21, 2014.

  6. Korean Adventist News Center, December 11, 2015.

  7. “A Report of the Media Center,” Minutes of the 36th General Meeting of the KUC (Seoul: Korean Union Conference, 2020).

  8. Ibid.

  9. Korean Adventist News Center, August 8, 2018.

  10. “A Report of the Media Center,” Minutes of the 36th General Meeting of the KUC.

  11. Korean Adventist News Center, December 6, 2019.

  12. “A Report of the Media Center,” Minutes of the 36th General Meeting of the KUC.

  13. Ibid.

  14. Korean Adventist News Center, January 14, 2021.

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Ku, Ji Hyun. "Hope Channel, Korea." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. April 16, 2021. Accessed February 06, 2025. https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=DFLV.

Ku, Ji Hyun. "Hope Channel, Korea." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. April 16, 2021. Date of access February 06, 2025, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=DFLV.

Ku, Ji Hyun (2021, April 16). Hope Channel, Korea. Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. Retrieved February 06, 2025, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=DFLV.