Riley M. Barnes (center), the US assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor, and Julie Turner (fourth from left), the acting deputy assistant secretary of state, stand for a photo with Rev. Son Hyun-bo (fifth from left), the head pastor of Segero Church in Busan on June 7, 2026. (courtesy Segero Church)
Officials from the US State Department and White House recently met with a Korean pastor who led rallies to fight the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk-yeol following his failed 2024 insurrection, according to the pastor’s church. As Trump administration officials deepen ties with far-right Protestant groups in South Korea, questions are growing about the implications for Seoul-Washington relations.“The US State Department made an official visit to the church and attended the Sunday service,” the Segero Church stated Sunday. “This visit was arranged after we received a request from the US State Department around four weeks ago. During the meeting, a wide range of issues South Korea is currently facing were discussed.”Speaking to the Hankyoreh, Rev. Son Hyun-bo, the church’s head pastor, said that the US officials offered their encouragement. “The State Department reached out to us and said they wanted to meet with us officially and attend one of our services. During the meeting, they encouraged us and said they would help secure funding for our church’s program that brings young Koreans and Americans together,” he said. Riley Barnes, the assistant US secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor, and Julie Turner, acting deputy assistant secretary of state in the same bureau, met Son on Sunday. They were joined by Belsis Romero, the White House faith liaison, Dewey Moore, the principal officer at the US Consulate in Busan, and Josh Davis, the political officer at the US Embassy in Seoul.The delegation also attended a worship service with Son. An official at Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the US delegation’s visit to Korea was part of engagement during the drafting process of its annual reports, which include its Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, its Trafficking in Persons Report, its International Religious Freedom Reports, and others. During their meeting, US officials are said to have discussed a number of topics opposed by the Korean conservative Christian community as well as matters concerning Son and the activities of the Segero Church. These include a proposed amendment to the Civil Act that would prevent religious groups like the Unification Church and Shincheonji from interfering in politics, and the Lee Jae Myung administration’s plans to review the enactment of an anti-discrimination law, as outlined in a recent report on policy achievements published to mark the anniversary of the administration’s first year in office.
