Sharing an update. Missionary SeungJin Kim in Northern Ireland. January 21, 2026
It has been a while since I last shared an update.
After returning from Myanmar last November, I began to experience, from December onward, a constant sensation similar to being on a boat and a feeling that I might lose my balance. Because of these symptoms, I underwent a brain CT scan in Northern Ireland, where I was told that there appeared to be shrinkage in my cerebellum. For a more accurate diagnosis, a brain MRI was required; however, in Northern Ireland the waiting time for an MRI can be extremely long. After much prayer with my family, I decided to come to Korea urgently. By God’s gracious intervention, I was able to undergo an MRI at a university hospital immediately upon arriving in Korea. The MRI clearly showed shrinkage in both my cerebellum and parietal lobe. However, I am deeply thankful that the functions related to orientation, behaviour, and language—governed by these areas—do not appear to be significantly impaired. Following this, I spent nearly two weeks undergoing comprehensive examinations in multiple departments, including ENT, cardiology, and internal medicine. Although no definitive cause was identified, most doctors explained that my symptoms—particularly non-rotational dizziness—could be caused by prolonged stress and overwork.
In addition to dizziness, I experienced worsening tinnitus, headaches, and sleep disturbances, with multiple symptoms appearing simultaneously. A Korean medicine doctor whom I know well explained that when stress and overwork are severe, the sternocleidomastoid muscle—running from the neck to behind the ear—can become tense. This tension may interfere with proper blood flow to the brain, potentially leading to the range of symptoms I have been experiencing.
Over the past ten years, I have lived through many stressful situations, at times being pushed into extreme circumstances. For the past seven to eight years, I have dealt with tinnitus, sleep problems, and headaches. Looking back, it may be that my brain had been sending warning signals through my body all along. Yet I tended to dismiss these physical weaknesses as a natural part of aging and believed that I was not someone who was particularly affected by stress. Now, in hindsight, I realize that my body may have reached a point where it could no longer endure.
I am currently receiving acupuncture treatment at a Korean medicine clinic. I was told that acupuncture in the palm is usually not painful for those who are not under much stress. However, each time I receive this treatment, I feel a sharp sensation. When I mentioned to the doctor that I did not think I was under much stress, he gently suggested that perhaps I had learned to think that way simply in order to survive and keep going.
Although the exact cause is still unclear, my current treatment focuses on improving cerebral blood flow, restoring and “rebooting” both body and mind, and correcting imbalances in my posture and facial alignment. Because these symptoms have accumulated over a long period of time, recovery has been slow, and I plan to devote at least one full month to treatment. Alongside physical healing, I have come to deeply recognize the need to change my patterns of thinking, my lifestyle, and my overall attitude toward life. I am also learning not to carry my life, vision, and even the ministry I believe God has given me by my own strength alone, but rather to release control and allow the Creator and Sovereign God to lead. In this sense, I am convinced that God has intentionally allowed this season, using my physical condition not only as a medical checkup, but as an emotional and spiritual mid-course examination as well.
Perhaps because of this, situations that might once have felt burdensome now feeĺ deeply grateful for small things, and even people I pass by seem precious and lovable. I find myself experiencing a sense of gratitude and joy similar to when I first encountered God. The love, prayers, encouragement, and companionship from my family, brothers and sisters in Korea, friends and acquaintances, and churches in Korea, China, Japan, and Northern Ireland are being felt very deeply during this time. I hold onto the hope that through this season, my body, mind, and spirit will be renewed and strengthened once again.
I would be grateful if you could pray with me for the following:
- That the right and most accurate treatment may be given
- That my family in the UK and Ireland, as well as my family in Korea, may continue to have peace and hope
- That God would grant comfort and peace to my wife, who is carrying many practical responsibilities—such as car-related issues—while I remain in Korea
Thank you sincerely for walking with me in prayer.
