God’s Promises: Book of John
English-North Korean Bilingual Bible for Book of John, 2013. ISBN: NET English-North Korean Bilingual Bible.
Our Story
A group of people attending 2007 Reah International conference (reah.org) met Prof. Hyunsik Kim who presented a talk on the need for modern translation of Bible for North Korea. The case for a dedicated North Korean translation of the Bible without use of Sino-Korean words unfamiliar to North Korean readers were presented. After the completion of the workshop, people gathered to ask the Lord to give Prof. Kim the strength to take up the mantle of Bible translation. Prof. Kim was 76 years old at the time. After the conference some volunteers continue to meet at Prof. Kim’s house and Pyongyang Bible Institute Inc. was founded in December 2008.
Our Mission
To provide accessible modern translation of Bible for people of North Korea.
Our Vision
People of North Korea meeting Jesus and encountering life anew as beloved children of God.
Our Core Values
- Dependence on God’s Leading
- Accountability and Transparency
- Commitment to Excellence
Timeline of Events in Our History
Read all history events as a list
October 9, 2006
Prof. Hyunsik (Taeyoung) Kim publishes Korean Re-unification Dictionary
After detecting to South Korea in 1993 professor Kim begins work on a dictionary detailing different words between North and South Korea. In North Korea, Taeyoung Kim had been serving as a liguistics professor for 38 year until he defected to South Korea and changed his name to Hyunsik Kim and also adopted a pen name 정종남.
May 2007
Reah Empower Conference 2007, Wheaton, Illinois
Hyunsik Kim asks for volunteers to help in his translation work. Empower conference attendees pray for Kim.
November 29, 2007
Volunteer Meetings in Chicago, Southern California, and Virginia
Professor Kim visits Chicago to meet with volunteers. Jamie Kim of Reah hosts Professor, Mrs Kim, and handful of people in his home in Pasadena on November 29, 2007. Reah and Sarang church volunteers organize a two-day workshop on January 18-19, 2018 in El Monte, CA. This is followed by further meetings in Virginia, PBI headquarter.
December 2008
Pyongyang Bible Institute Inc is formed
Pyongyang Bible Institute is officially formed and registers as 501(c)(3) non-profit in Fairfax, Virginia
February 25, 2011
License agreement for use of New English Translation Bible
PBI forms license agreement for use of New English Translation (NET) English Bible with Biblical Studies Press LLC.
September 17, 2013
License agreement for use of New Living Translation Bible
PBI forms license agreement for translation and use of New Living Translation (NLT) English Bible with Tyndale House Publishers. Translation of NLT New Testament to North Korean begins.
October 23, 2013
God's Promise: Book of John published
PBI in partnership with Hongsungsa publishes its first Bible: Gospel of John in English-Korean Bilingual format. This work features Gospel of John in New English Translation (NET) translated to North Korean.
August 28, 2017
God's Promise: New Testament published
PBI in partnership with Hongsungsa publishes New Testament in English-Korean Bilingual format. This work features New Testament in New Living Translation (NLT) translated to North Korean.
August 8, 2019
Prof. Kim passes away on August 8, 2019 at age of 87
Prof. Kim returns to his heavenly home after having faithfully completed the New Testament translation of New Living Translation (NLT) Bible in modern North Korean diction. Mrs. Kim continues to direct a group of volunteers at PBI honoring Prof. Kim's wish to see the entire Bible translated.
November 9, 2022
Digital version published in YouVersion Bible app
In partnership with Tyndale, YouVersion, and Digital Bible Library, PBI publishes digital version as a new Korean translation, NLTNK, in Bible app.
Our Team Members
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.
Prof. Kim passed away on August 8, 2019 having completed the New Testament translation of New Living Bible (NLT) bible published in 2017.
Read his Foreign Policy article to learn more about Professor Kim’s own account of life in North Korea
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
By his side
Professor Kim was reliant on his wife after a Brain aneurysm left him unable to control left side of his body. Despite significant slur in his speech and use of wheelchair he spoke at nearly fifty speaking venues including at Yale, Harvard, Duke, Tufts, Georgetown, University of Washington, UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, William College, Fuller Theological Seminary. This feat was made possible with the help of Mrs. Kim by his side.
Translation Review Session
One of the recorded translation sessions reviewing a Bible passage. During these sessions professor Kim at times compared English and Korean Bible passages to Japanese and Russian translations. This video was recorded on May 21, 2014.
Past translation projects
Prior to publication of God’s Promises: New Testament(2017) professor Kim had served as also served as the lead translator for God’s Promises: Book of John (2013), Korea Re-Unification Dictionary (2007), and Bible Stories: South and North Together (2004). Pyongyang Bible Institute has also created an English-North Korean Dictionary with the help of numerous volunteers that have not been published.
Bible Stories: South and North Together
Short stories about 25 people of the Bible. English-North Korean bilingual format, 2004.
Korea Re-Unification Dictionary
Dictionary containing about 10,000 words that are different between North and South, 2007. Note inaccurate authorship in front page. ISBN: 9788900217100.
Note on listed authorshipFocusing on Jesus and his Good News
Professor Kim has published two autobiographies that provide a visual insight into the lives of North Korean people after the Korean War. These references also include the series of events that led to his commitment to the work on Bible translation and the creation of Pyongyang Bible Institute. Our central thesis is one that is often reiterated by Prof. and Mrs. Kim and acknowledged by other members of PBI: Jesus is the ultimate transformative force. Pyongyang Bible Institute will continue to serve as an organization that will continue to promote the Living Words of Jesus and what He has to say to us today through the Bible and Bible teaching resources.
80 years, 35,000 km
Second autobiography of Hyunsik Kim, 2013 · ISBN 9788936503147
I am a nomad in the 21st century
First autobiography of Hyunsik Kim, 2007 · ISBN 9788934925491
Documentary Kim Jung Il
Hyunsik Kim’s first-hand account of Kim Jung Il and an essay on the downfall of North Korea, 1997 · ISBN 9788986144062