AESOP RHIM

Author Aesop Rhim's newly released “Prayer for Peace: The Saga of a Korean War Survivor” is one man’s story of how his faith turned his war experiences into forgiveness and peace activism.

From Christian Faith Publishing, “Prayer for Peace:  The Saga of a Korean War Survivor” is the tale of a young man whose life was devastated by war, but redeemed by God.  Aesop rebuilt his life, only to later learn of the toll that the North Korean regime had taken on his family in the ensuing years.  Today, he is also an artist for peace, family man, and missionary to Africa.

“When the Korean War began in June of 1950, I was a teenage boy living in Chosan, a town near the Yalu River in North Korea. My entire high school class was drafted to serve in the war. Facing the horrors of war, I chose to defect and make my way into South Korea.  During these days of the Korean War, I struggled for arduous days of walking, exhaustion and starvation. After several deadly skirmishes, I was captured by South Korean local guards and they beat me severely. Death seemed imminent. I prayed for God’s mercy while imprisoned. Miraculously, the South Korean army’s unit officer was my home-town elder in North Korea and recognized me.. The officer pardoned me and allowed me to join the South Korean army.  My life was spared.” --Aesop Rhim

Against all odds, Aesop eventually graduated from the fine arts college of Seoul National University to become an artist, and then immigrated to the United States and graduated from the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

In 1997, he had the opportunity to travel back to North Korea on a peace mission, where he was reunited with his siblings. In Pyongyang, he witnessed the deprivations of North Korea.  Aesop was shocked to learn from his sister that in the winter of 1975, his mother and older brother, along with his brother’s family, were sent to a concentration camp.  It was a devastating moment for Aesop, but he prayed for God’s guidance and mercy for his family and the North Korean people.

In 2001, when Aesop encountered the tragedy of the 9/11 terrorism in New York, he felt a personal awakening and resolve to use his art as a tool for peace. Aesop immediately created his “Prayer for Peace” art exhibition, which explored peace in different ways for over a decade.  “Prayer for Peace: The Saga of a Korean War Survivor”  is his harrowing story of war, peace, and faith.

View a synopsis of “Prayer for Peace: The Saga of a Korean War Survivor” on YouTube. Consumers can purchase “Prayer for Peace: The Saga of a Korean War Survivor” at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, Kobo or Barnes and Noble.