Interesting Story of Prof. Kim

Pyongyang Bible Institute was founded by Hyunsik Kim (born Taeyoung Kim), a linguistics professor from North Korea. He worked at Kim Hyong Jik University of Education in North Korea for nearly 40 years after which he defected to South Korea and eventually immigrated to United States. He carried out several translation projects such as children’s Bible stories and English-North Korean dictionary. Pyongyang Bible Institute was founded by Hyunsik Kim in 2008 and he has served as the lead translator until his passing on August 2019. Hyunsik was an ardent believer in the transformative power of Jesus and the message of Good News and often reminded those visiting him at his home in Fairfax, Virginia.

Read his Foreign Policy article to learn more about professor Kim’s own account of life in North Korea.

Prof. Kim passed away on August 8, 2019 having completed the New Testament translation of New Living Bible (NLT) bible published in 2017.

Academic Profile of Taeyoung Kim

• Born 1932 in South Hamyong, North Korea

• Participated in Korean War as a soldier of North Korean People’s Army, 1950

• Professor at Pyongyang Kim Hyong Jik University of Education, 1954~1987

• Exchange Professor at Russian National Education University, 1988~1991

• Changed name from Taeyoung Kim to Hyunsik Kim for security reasons

• Professor at Seoul Foreign Language University, and KCIA University, 1994~1999

• Visiting Professor at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2001~2002

• Visiting Professor at Yale University Divinity School, 2003~2006

• Research Professor at George Mason University, 2007~2017

• Founded Pyongyang Bible Institute in Fairfax, Virginia, 2008