Phillip Buck

Reverend Phillip Jun Buck is a Korean-American Christian missionary for Assemblies of God Korean District and an advocate for human rights in North Korea. In 2007, he won the Civil Courage Prize for his work on behalf of North Korean refugees.

Early life and education Buck was born in South Hwanghae Province, Ongjin County, Korea, Empire of Japan in 1941. He was separated from his family during the Korean War and fled to South Korea in the 1950s.

Arrest On May 9, 2005, Buck was arrested in Yanji by Chinese authorities while escorting a group of 14 North Korean refugees. Columnists for The New York Times described the arrest as a sign of "a gradually hardening Chinese posture" toward the growing number of North Korean refugees.

Though his children asked him to stop his work given his increasing age—Buck was 65 at the time of his release—Buck stated that he intended to continue.

Recognition In 2007, Buck was awarded the Civil Courage Prize of the Train Foundation, which recognizes "steadfast resistance to evil at great personal risk — rather than military valor". The prize came with a cash award of $50,000.