Contact: Erika Castle, 719-598-5869

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Feb. 12 /Christian Newswire/ -- Underground University, a new project of Colorado Springs-based Seoul USA, is a twelve month intensive program located in Seoul, South Korea designed to equip North Korean exiles with the tools they need to return and spread the Christian message to North Koreans inside North Korea, China, and countries where North Korean diplomats and students are living abroad.

For the sixth year in a row, North Korea has ranked number one on the Christian persecution World Watch List, says Mrs. H. S. Foley, CEO of Seoul USA. Yet despite what many North Korean Christians endure, a "return to NK for ministry" movement is surfacing among North Korean defectors in South Korea, and Seoul USA is inviting Colorado residents to join in the cause.

"Many Americans have heard about the tens of thousands who are active in the underground North Korean Church, but an equally amazing trend is the growing number of North Korean exiles who are eager to return to China and North Korea to reach their countrymen," Foley says. "The fact that North Koreans are eager to risk their lives by returning to North Korea to spread the Christian message makes us want to equip them with the comprehensive training they'll need to survive."

To give Colorado residents the opportunity to make a tangible difference in the modern-day holocaust in North Korea, Seoul USA is holding a banquet on April 2, 2009 at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs. The banquet is free to guests, with dinner costs already covered by Seoul USA supporters. An offering will be taken to raise funds for Underground University.

The banquet's featured speaker is Kim Sung Min, a North Korean defector and Dean of Underground University who has twice responded to invitations to the White House to share the plight of North Koreans. Mr. Kim will share his harrowing story of escape from North Korea and the hope he sees through Underground University.

"This banquet is a unique opportunity for the people of Colorado to hear the life-changing story of Mr. Kim, learn about the suffering of North Korean Christians, and get involved in a radical underground movement designed to change North Korea from the inside out," says Foley. "Everyone is invited to attend and bring family and friends."

Individuals interested in attending the Seoul USA banquet can RSVP online at www.UndergroundU.org or call (719) 481-8599.