In a small, immaculately maintained facility in the heart of Los Angeles, the Korean Adventist Press (KAP) staff goes efficiently about its work of printing or distributing publications for the Korean community in North America.

Editor Soon-Tae Song works with an associate editor, treasurer Joseph Cho and a shipping crew to create and/or distribute material for the 130 Korean Adventist churches in North America. Outlining KAP’s mission field, Song noted, “About two million Koreans reside in the U.S. and Canada, and about 500,000 live in Los Angeles.”

To keep pace with demand, he added, “We are outsourcing our printing work with local companies since our pressman is retiring.” This added contact and working relationship in the community will also heighten awareness of KAP’s work and publication locally.

Materials printed in Los Angeles reflect perspectives of U.S. Korean members. Local publications include the monthly Korean Adventist Review and a North American version called, Church Compass. For the public, the press publishes a monthly Home and Health magazine and Signs of the Times, with 16 added pages for U.S. Koreans. Sabbath school quarterlies, Spirit of Prophecy books and five cookbooks are published in Korea and distributed by the Los Angeles-based press.

KAP is the only denominational organization for Korean members in the North American Division and serves as a support resource for the Korean Adventist community. For the past 16 years, it has organized annual trips to Korea for some 50 high school and college youth so they can experience Korean life.

The Korean American Youth Adventist Missionary organization (KAYAM) sponsors youth mission trips for Korean young people from all over North America. Summer KAYAM classes are held in a nutrition center in Temecula called “De Luz.” Owned by a church member and dedicated for church use as needed, the building is also used for training in giving Bible studies prior to KAYAM mission trips. The five-week, annual mission trips have taken Korean young people to Peru, the Philippines, China and other countries.

According to Song, the Korean Signs of the Times distributed by the Korean Press has a circulation of 17,000 copies. Members pay for the subscriptions and for books to share with nonmembers.

SCC Treasurer Sunny Oh noted, “The press was established in 1980 as a subsidiary of the Southern California Conference and is recognized by the NAD as a denominational institution.” Oh, the founder and general manager of the Korean Press, explained the genesis of the institution. “Around 1979, about 40 Korean churches worshiped in the U.S. and Canada using literature and church supplies each church imported from Korea.

“Delays, shipping expense and other factors involved in getting materials from Korea to churches on this continent (especially dated materials such as Sabbath school quarterlies and monthly magazines) created difficulties for the churches. In addition, members here initially wanted to know about the churches in Korea. In the 25 years the press has been in business, though, this interest has been diminishing.

“The ‘1.5 generation,’ which experienced their young years in Korea and most of their years in the U.S., gradually wanted news of the churches in their adopted country. This is being provided through the Church Compass monthly magazine that includes this news plus Morning Watch devotionals. More recently, an English version of Compass has also been developed for second-generation Koreans here.

“Prior to 1980, no central organization or information exchange existed in the NAD for Korean churches, so they were just by themselves,” Oh continued. “This changed once the press was established and began printing the Church Compass magazine. In addition, an annual directory of North American Korean members was developed (now published every 18 months) which includes contact information for the 10,000-plus NAD individuals. The directory helps Korean members worldwide know how to contact members who now live in North America.”

Oh said he derives satisfaction from the communication made possible by the Korean Press. “Because of this institution’s work, we can communicate with the Korean churches and groups in the North American Division as one group.”