Elgin church volunteers return from North Korea ‘without hassle’ after leader’s death

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Joshua Song of Naperville, who is president of foundation supporting Pyongyang University of Science and Technology in North Korea, speaks Thursday at Church of the Bretheren in Elgin. Song and other educators spoke of their experience teaching at the university. August 25, 2011 | Michael Smart~Sun-Times Media

Updated: February 21, 2012 8:08AM

ELGIN — When North Korean leader Kim Jong Il’s death was announced Dec. 19, the Elgin-headquartered Church of the Brethren was worried.

That’s because the church supports Pyongyang University of Science and Technology in North Korea’s capital and largest city, the only private university in the country. And that includes supporting several volunteer teachers at the university, who were set to return to the United States at the end of the semester last week.

“We were a little worried whether there would be a mass exodus at the airport,” said Howard Royer, manager of the church’s Global Food Crisis Fund.

But, he added, “They got out without a hassle. They came out on the normal schedule.”

And those volunteers, Church of the Brethren members Robert and Linda Shank, came with little insight into what will become of North Korea after the death of its “dear leader.”

“The main thing they observed was a lot of tearful eyes,” Royer said.

“That’s about all they observed. Everybody looked tearful — eyes red. From what I’ve read, that’s almost a requirement. You’ve got to be mournful of the dear leader’s passing.”

Robert Shank is dean of the School of Agriculture and Life Science at Pyongyang University, and Linda Shank teaches English there.

The couple has a mailing address in Elgin but hasn’t lived in the United States for more than 20 years, working in Liberia, Ethiopia, Nepal, Belize and now North Korea. They’ll pass back through the area in mid-January before returning to North Korea to teach their fourth term in March at the university, Royer said.

All other universities in North Korea have been closed this year as students prepare for the national celebration of “Eternal President” Kim Il Sung’s birth. Kim Il Sung, who died of a heart attack in 1994, was the father of Kim Jong Il, who also died of a heart attack Dec. 17, according to the government.

Kim Jong Un, the son of Kim Jong Il, since has been pronounced “supreme leader” and head of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party. He welcomed a private South Korean mourning delegation to view his father’s body before his funeral Wednesday.

That could be intended to push South Korea to pursue previously agreed-upon cooperative projects that would give North Korea much-needed aid, said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, which is in South Korea.

And, Royer said, “That would be the hope of (Pyongyang University) and the people there — that South Koreans would be able to come there.”

Pyongyang University opened in October 2010, offering classes taught entirely in English. It’s funded by donations largely from Christian denominations and groups from both the U.S. and South Korea, and staffed entirely by volunteers from around the world.

Royer calls it a “big disappointment” that South Korea hasn’t been able to send volunteers to the university since relationships between the north and south soured. But he called Kim Jong Un’s meeting with South Koreans, and the university’s first International Conference on Science and Technology in October, “significant strides forward” for both the country and the university.

“All in all, it’s doing very well and receiving good acceptance from the Korean government at this point,” Royer said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.