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One missionary, Korean-American Robert Park, made headlines after he crossed into North Korea last Christmas, shouting that he brought God’s love and carrying a letter demanding Kim’s resignation. The 26-year-old was arrested and later released in February.

The South Korean missionary who converted Son disguised himself as head of a timber mill. Son’s brother never met the missionary; he says his brother wouldn’t let him or even reveal his name, because of concerns about the missionary’s safety.

After becoming a Christian, Son began helping the missionary try to convert other North Koreans hiding in China.

“My brother said he realized the Kim Jong Il regime is hypocritical, and living in accordance with what the Bible says is what we have to do,” the younger Son says. “Christianity can come upon innocent people like my brother so fast.”

In January 2001, Son was arrested by Chinese police for allegedly trying to convert North Korean defectors in China, which bans foreigners from proselytizing. He was deported home in April, where he was detained and tortured, leaving him with a limp, his brother said. He lost about 70 pounds (32 kilograms) in captivity.

“He was beaten in the head with clubs and given electric shocks,” his brother says, his eyes welling up with tears.

Son was released in 2004 and sneaked across the border to Yanji to see his daughter, who had been left in the care of a Chinese missionary. He soon decided to return to North Korea to proselytize.

“I repeatedly urged him to change his mind, but he told me he has something to do in North Korea,” says his brother, who was living in Seoul by then but returned to China briefly to see his brother.

Son headed back with the bibles and tapes. Little is known about how he evangelized, though his brother says Son worked at a state-run defense institute and was allowed to travel freely.

It’s unclear whether efforts such as Son’s have met with much success. Lee, the Seoul-based missionary, claims his Cornerstone Ministries International has 135,000 members in North Korea.