Korea Daejeon Mission

(Get this design on a T-shirt!)
Free resources about the Korea Daejeon (Taejon) Mission:

• Mission address and phone number
• Mission map
• Video interviews with returned missionaries
• Missionary blogs
• Facebook groups
• LDS Mission t-shirts and gifts
• List of past mission presidents
• Cultural articles written by returned missionaries
• Survey with RMs

*Other Mission Pages: Korea LDS Missions.

Korea Daejeon Mission Address

Here’s a recent address for the Korea Daejeon Mission. We try to keep this information up to date, but it’s a good idea to check the address with several sources, including your mission packet or the mission office.

Korea Daejeon Mission Map

Here’s a link to the mission map for the Korea Daejeon Mission (LDS). To access the official, up-to-date LDS.org map for the Daejeon Mission:

1. Log into your LDS account here.
2. Click here.

Videos with Korea Daejeon RMs

Here are in-depth YouTube video interviews with returned missionaries from the Korea Daejeon Mission.  We interview hundreds of returned missionaries each year, so check back regularly to see new RM interviews.

Videos about South Korea

Here are LDS-friendly educational videos about South Korea. We scoured YouTube to find the best quality videos about South Korea, free from inappropriate music, immodesty and profanity.

                  

Korea Daejeon Missionary Blogs

Here’s a list of LDS missionary blogs for the Korea Daejeon Mission. This list includes the missionary’s name, URL and when their blog was updated.

*Send your missionary a gift (mission-specific shirts, ties, Christmas stockings/ornaments, pillowcases, etc.)

Korea Daejeon Mission Groups

Here are Korea Daejeon Mission Groups- for LDS missionary moms, returned missionaries, mission presidents and other alumni of the Daejeon Mission.

1. Teajon Mission- Ross H Cole Years (1989-92) Group (156 members)
2. Korea Taejon Mission 1995-98 Facebook Group (64 members)
3. Korea Missions (Busan, Daejeon, Seoul) Moms Group (42 members)
4. Daejeon Mission with President Kang Woo Lee Group (34 members)
5. Taejon Korea Mission (President Lee) 1992-1995 Group (18 members)
6. Busan, Daejeon, Seoul and Seoul South Group (6 members)

Korea Daejeon Mission T-Shirts

Here are T-shirts for the Korea Daejeon Mission!

Shirt designs include Korea Daejeon Mission logo/emblem shirts and Called to Serve shirts. The shirts make great gifts for pre-missionaries, returned missionaries and missionaries currently serving. LDS Mission shirts come in all sizes: Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large, up to 4XL.  The mission designs are printed on white shirts and are shipped to you.

*Simply click on a shirt design to view the details and submit an order. The designs on mission t-shirts may also be printed on other LDS mission gifts, including: Korea Daejeon missionary aprons, Christmas stockings, ties, pillow cases, teddy bears and Christmas ornaments.

*Click here to browse Daejeon Mission gifts. Taejon Mission Gifts.

Korea Daejeon Mission Presidents

Here’s a list of current and past Mission Presidents of the Daejeon LDS Mission.

1. 2016-2019, John L. Madsen
2. 2013-2016, Yong-In S. Shin
3. 2010-2013, Mark C. Furniss
4. 2007-2010, Alan G. Perriton
5. 2004-2007, Norman R. Nemrow

South Korea LDS Statistics (2016)

• Church Membership: 87,296
• Missions: 4
• Temples: 1
• Congregations: 122
• Family History Centers: 24

Helpful Articles about South Korea

• 15 Funny Korean Language Mistakes LDS Missionaries Have Made

Korea Daejeon Missionary Survey

Here are survey responses from Korea Daejeon RMs, to give you a snapshot into what it’s like to live in the mission.

*Click here to take a survey to help pre-missionaries going to your mission.

When did you serve?

• 2013-2015 (Kyle)
• 2012-2014 (Victor)
• 1993-1995 (Holly)
• 1993-1995 (Jereme)
• 1992-1993 (Sherri)
• 1990-1992 (Trace)
• 1989-1991 (Shawn)
• 1989-1991 (David)
• 1990 (경주)

What areas did you serve in?

• Jeonju, Gwangju, Iksan, Daejeon, Naju. (Kyle)
• Jeong-eup, Ik-san, Cheon-an, Jeon-ju, Yeo-su. (Victor)
• Mokpo, Jeong Ju, Gunsan, Chong Ju, Hong Song, Daechun. (Holly)
• Gongju, Iri, Kwangyang, Jeonju, Joungup. (Jereme)
• Kwan-ju, Noju, Song Jong Ri, Naju, Kwan-ju Visitor Center, Cheonju, Cheongju. (Sherri)
• Jeon-Ju, Jeong-Up, Taejon, Yoh-Chon. (Trace)
• 남완, 공주, 신탄진, 홍성, 요구, 순정, 광주, a couple others I can’t remember. (David)
• 익산 군산 광주 정읍 천안  (경주)

What were some favorite foods?

• 삼겹살 보신탕 순대 불고기 김치볶음밥. (Kyle)
• My favorite foods were the delivery chicken (oh yeah!) and (Hae-jang-guk)해장국 (a soup made with a small portion of pig spine, with meat on it of course, not too spicy but packed with great savory flavors). Some other favorites were 김치찌개 (kimchi jji-gae), which is kimchi stew in a sense. (Victor)
• Kimchee chegae, Pogum pap, Kimchee pancake. (Holly)
• Kimchi, lunch I chegae, dwen Chang chegae, japjae, dukpogi, it’s all good! (Jereme)
• Kimchi, pogum pap, ja jang myun, mandu, mandu gook, tong su yook, kimchi chigae, dwen jang chigae (all time favorite) (Sherri)
• Kimchi Chigae, Pi Bim Pop, Chap Jae. (Trace)
• Kimchi chigae, kalbi, all Korean food. (Shawn)
• 감치 치게, 김밥, 해물 치게 (sea parts), 딘장 치게, 찹재밥, 불고기 (all varieties)(I’m sure spelling is off). Anything from the street vendors. My favorite snack is the cucumber kimchi! I like it all! (David)
• 계란찜  (경주)

What was a funny experience?

• As we were getting on the bus in Jeonju, my companion was coming to the back to join me in the back seat. Just before he got to the back the bus launched forward sending him straight into the bench. He turned his shoulder and just braced for impact and SLAMMED hard into the seat! Hahaha I was dying!!! (Kyle)
• While we were walking to a member’s house with another companionship, we were about to cross a crosswalk when a lady from the other side just books it toward us across the crosswalk, flailing her arms around like she’s an airplane. When she reaches us, she starts singing this really weird song, which none of us could understand (including the native Koreans). And in the middle of the song she starts walking around like a chicken making chicken sounds and then continuing with the song. She ends the song and talks to us about how she has been stressed out recently and that it helps her to relieve stress to do that… (Victor)
• I once asked a shopkeeper who was a nursing mother for a brand of bread called “milk bread.” She gave me a weird look until my companion showed her the brand. Everyone one was laughing except me. I was a greenie and didn’t understand them. The shop was by our house. I learned later the the Elders knew there was a nursing mother there…I was totally set up! (Jereme)
• When I slipped on some ice, an Elder reached out to catch to catch me by the arm…realized he wasn’t supposed to touch me and then dropped me on the ice. (Sherri)
• My MTC companion used a tennis racket to kill a bat in his house while serving in Mok-Po and then taped the bat to a piece of cardboard and put it in a padded mailer and mailed it to me up in Taejon. (Trace)
• Everyday had funny experiences. (Shawn)
• Running away from a riot with tear gas, down a side street, only to pop out on a street with another riot. We came out right between the police and college students, and the tear gas canisters had just been discharged. We decided our best bet was to run through the tear gas, toward the police, away from the students. Let’s just say, by the time we made it to safety, we were both crying and our throats and eyes were stinging really bad. Going forward I kept a good distance between myself and tear gas! (David)
• Sports day. (경주)

What was a crazy experience?

• Korea is the safest place on earth, but I was scared for my life one time. We missed our stop on a bus and as we got off on the next stop, we saw a homeless man so I stopped to talk with him. He wasn’t replying to anything we were saying so we started walking down the street. We were a good 100 yards away when we turned around and saw him following us! We began to walk faster and so did he! Eventually we just stopped to talk to him and he just rambled at us in very-hard-to-understand Korean and we just ended the conversation and left. (Kyle)
• A drunk guy was walking down the sidewalk and was yelling at some kids. He stopped us and asked if the kids were in the wrong when they were walking in the gutter and not on the sidewalk where there was a railing. We didn’t know what to say, and so we agreed with him. He then proceeded to show us what could have happened if they went into the street. So he jumped the railing and stumbled out into the street, almost being hit by multiple cars. Then he came back, started to yell at us, all the while telling us that he could kill us right there and then (he was holding a rope in his hand and kept on unraveling it from his hand). We told the kids to run and when they finally ran away, so did we. (Victor)
• I was waiting at the bus stop, and had this guy harassing me. My Korean companion just boarded the next bus, even though it was the wrong one, to get away from him. It all worked out! (Holly)
• I’m 6’4 and I had a drunk 5 foot nothing Korean want to fight me once….it was funny. (Jereme)
• Burning a hole with a hot pan in the line that fed our stove with gas. Oops. (Sherri)
• Every bus ride I ever took through a winding mountain road. (Trace)
• Bathhouses were always a crazy time. (Shawn)
• Standing between the railroad cars, while traveling, and swinging our legs out wide of the train while it was moving quickly. We had to time it between poles coming by. Not one of our best ideas while traveling to zone conference. Don’t tell President Cole 😧 haha. (David)

What was a spiritual experience?

• My favorite spiritual experiences were always during personal prayer, whether at home or in the chapel on a week day. I found out for myself that God is really there. (Kyle)
• After a long day of walking and no appointments, we come home for dinner and I just fall on my knees by my bed, I cry and beg God to help me to be effective. I kept on thinking about how I wasn’t effective and baptizing anyone, then this impression came to me: “We are all different tools in the Master’s hands.” And I envisioned a sculptor with a block of clay, and different tools with different purposes; one for gouging, one for smoothing, etc. It calmed me down and helped me to realize that God’s work doesn’t happen in a day or with just one person. 🙂 (Victor)
• In my greenie area we taught someone who made a promise to investigate The Church to a previous missionary who served in the area after his high school exams were finished. He approached us on the street. I was a greenie, but he listened so attentively as I read the discussions to him in broken Korean. He would patiently wait for me to finish and then ask my companion any questions he had (or to repeat what I had said!). He was so prepared. Over 20 years ago and I still remember the experience like yesterday. His name was Gyung Chul Kang, in Gongju. (Jereme)
• Too many to count. First one though, was a woman absolutely burning up with fever. Immediately after a blessing given by the Elders, her temperature dropped to normal and she recovered quickly. (Sherri)
• Seeing people accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ and make real changes in their lives and their hearts. (Trace)
• Everyday with the language. Very humbling. (Shawn)
• Honestly, reading “Jesus the Christ” was the greatest spiritual experience of my mission. (David)
• 신앙의 눈  (경주)

What are some interesting facts about the Daejeon Mission?

• The Mission President, President Shin, was the Vice President of Samsung! (Kyle)
• It is probably the most diverse when it comes to landscapes. You have huge flat-lands with rice paddies. It has mountains and hills. It has beautiful coasts. And it has the best KIMCHI in all of Korea!! The best cooking comes from the south-western part of Korea. It is the least developed part of Korea, meaning there aren’t a lot of big cities. The largest cities are Daejeon, which could be compared to Salt Lake City; and Gwang-ju, which is roughly the same, but a little smaller. (Victor)
• People don’t eat alone, ever. They always buy for everyone present. They do not blow their nose at the table, but passing gas is not rude. (Holly)
• It was considered the country mission when I was there. It also was the capitol for a time, anciently. Towns SHUT DOWN on their Thanksgiving, very cool. (Jereme)
• Sisters were not allowed to teach men, and vice versa for Elders. We were also not allowed to shake hands with the opposite sex. I served alone in the Visitor’s Center for about two months. I was officially in a threesome, but they would drop me off in the morning, pick me up for lunch, then pick me up again in the evening. As an “older” sister missionary of 23, I loved the independence! (Sherri)
• Just so fun speaking Korean and meeting the people there. Going in the 1800s in some areas. (Shawn)
• Roughly: 23 companions, 10 areas, 1 baptism. I would not eat the food when I arrived and lost enough weight, that my father had to call me and tell me they would send me home if I did not start eating. By the time I came home, I loved it all…even 오징어 (squid jerky). (David)

What was the weather like?

• Really hot and humid in the summer. Freezing cold in the winter. Spring and fall are perfect, but only last about a month each. (Kyle)
• The Koreans are very proud of their four seasons. And they should be, they are beautiful, but summer can be a bit rough. It is humid and can get hot, depending on where you are on the peninsula; the more south you are, the hotter it will be. Winter can also be totally different depending on where you are. Near Seoul it will be freezing, and on the southern coast there will be no snow and will average out at about 40-50. Fall and spring are beautiful. Early summer watch out for 장마 (Jang-ma), monsoon season. It will send down buckets of rain. You will always be buying more and more umbrellas. (Victor)
• Very humid. Summers are wretched hot! Weather the rest of the year is very similar to Utah. (Holly)
• High humidity and hot summers, like where I grew up. Snow in winter, which was cool. (Jereme)
• Four seasons. Hot and humid in the summer; extremely cold in the winter. Perfect spring and fall weather. Beautiful fall color. (Sherri)
• Hot and humid in the summer. Some snow in the winter, but not a ton. (Trace)
• Brutally cold and brutally hot and humid. (Shawn)
• Same as Oklahoma…hot & humid in summer; cold & windy in the winter. Plenty of mosquitoes to spare (the 모기자 was my friend). (David)
• 하늘은 파랗고 인생은 아름다웠지요  (경주)

Any things you really like about the area/people?

• The people were so nice to us. I loved how everything was within walking or bus riding distance. (Kyle)
• The people are very, very kind and considerate. They love Americans/foreigners, usually. If you build 정 (jung, a common love/concern/connection) with people, then you will get lots of food, gifts, etc. But that takes effort and a “give and take” attitude. The people will love you forever if you have built that “jung”. The places I served are magnificently beautiful and you can get from anywhere to anywhere for pretty cheap. Hospitals are very affordable, compared to the US. Like I mean, dirt cheap. But don’t expect the same potency out of medicines, they are pretty diluted compared to U.S. grade medicines. A doctors visit would be like $10-15 compared to $300 in the US. (Victor)
• They are so kind and loving. Even when they had no interest in The Church, they still loved to talk to you. (Holly)
• The country is beautiful and the people are fantastic. (Jereme)
• Beautiful scenery. I loved the Korean people. (Sherri)
• Completely different culture and experience from what I had growing up in California and Utah. But I learned to love it completely. (Trace)
• The Korean people were the greatest I have ever met. Great places and experiences. (Shawn)
• Something new every day. The Korean people were very unique and kind. Trying to understand their customs and how that affected their views of the world around them was quit difficult; yet very interesting, fun, and frustrating at the same time. (David)
• 아름답고 겸손한 사람들  (경주)

Any packing/clothing advice?

• No baggy clothes. 멋이 없다. (Kyle)
• Pack a warm coat. But also pack short sleeves, lighter colors, etc. for summer. There is snow in some places, but nothing more than 6 in – 1ft usually. In Seoul it could be way more…I don’t know. Dress boots aren’t necessary, but if you like them, they won’t hurt. You will always be walking, riding the bus, taking taxis, etc., so bring a couple pairs of shoes. 2 is a good starting number, and if you want to buy more there, they aren’t too expensive. Garments: it depends on what you like, but Dri-lux is a good choice. If you’re a briefs kind of guy like me, 50/50 or cotton is a good choice. I heard the spandex and others are too sticky or uncomfortable. (Victor)
• Really warm clothes for winter. Layers for under skirts, and really good walking shoes. You will walk a lot. (Holly)
• Just pack what it says. Take Koolaid packets. They’re light, members love it, and you can make pancake syrup out of them. Take rolls of pennies or nickels…kids love them. (Jereme)
• Take sturdy shoes. If you are bigger/taller, bring enough clothes. When I was there, clothes were pretty skinny. I loved them but some sisters had trouble buying their size. Pack tampons; they didn’t sell them then. (Sherri)
• Sweaters to layer in the winter. Good shoes for walking a lot. Short sleeve shirts for the warmer months. (Trace)
• Talk to people in country before you buy anything. (Shawn)
• Better shoes, don’t over pack (only take what you need), durable luggage. Pop up mosquito net to go over you would have been cool. (David)

What blessings did you receive from serving a mission?

• I increased in my love for the Lord and my relationship with Him was strengthened. I found myself by serving others. (Kyle)
• I have made many, many friends and lifelong friends as well. I have gained confidence in myself and have gained a testimony of our Savior and of our loving Heavenly Father. I have gained a more positive outlook on my life and my future. Because of the skills and habits I formed while on my mission, I have always had enough to live on and have had my needs fulfilled. Things I learn in college classes come more easily and I can understand them pretty well. (Victor)
• Learned language. Great love for Korean people. Continual contact with Koreans throughout my life! Deeper testimony of this gospel! Love for higher principles in the gospel. (Holly)
• I know it set me up for spiritual success for the rest of my life. It helped me learn how to rely on the Lord. (Jereme)
• Too innumerable to count. Some of the best memories of my life were built in Korea. I gained a lot of confidence and experience in sharing the gospel and talking to anybody. My children are proud of my service and I have a daughter planning on serving her mission in about a year. (Sherri)
• Tremendous personal growth. The recognition that I could do hard things. Greater reliance on prayer and my Savior. (Trace)
• Met my wife in Korean class at BYU. (Shawn)
• It started a process of change in my life that was needed, and was the beginning of change, for the better, that has shaped who I have become…spiritually, emotionally, etc. (David)
• 간증 그의 제자가 되겠다는 소망  (경주)

What are some skills you gained?

• Korean language is a big one. I learned to 빨리 빨리! (Kyle)
• I learned how to manage my time efficiently and how to plan out my goals. I have learned patience not only with others and my circumstances, but with myself. The Korean language is not easy. So learning to be patient will your skill level is crucial. I learned leadership and cooperation with others. I learned how to be unconsciously charitable and how to serve others without thinking. (Victor)
• Learned language. Waking up early. Time management. (Holly)
• Ability to walk up and talk to anyone. (Jereme)
• Korean language that I was able to use in the work place on several occasions and enabled me to receive higher pay when I worked for FEMA. Talking off the cuff was something I learned on the streets of Korea that has served me very well in life. (Sherri)
• Good study habits. Being comfortable talking to strangers. The Korean language. (Trace)
• Communication, humble, accepting of others. (Shawn)
• I can comfortably talk to anyone, anywhere; makes life fun! (David)
• 이해 공감 미세한 음성 듣고 알아차리기   (경주)

What do you wish you knew/did at the beginning of your mission?

• I wish I didn’t care so much about what others thought about my Korean. (Kyle)
• I wish I knew that I actually had the confidence and bravery it takes to go on a mission. I was not confident in myself, and that affected my performance, but as I caught myself being negative about myself, I could combat that and move on. In the end I realized that I did have the confidence all along, I just had to accept it. Also, read your scriptures daily and memorize scripture mastery, it REALLY helps, not just with teaching investigators… (Victor)
• Speak your language. Study harder the vocabulary words. Practice the language more. Be less scared, and rely on the Spirit. (Holly)
• How short it would be! (Sherri)
• I wish I had a better understanding that I was serving “My” mission, not my companion’s. As a greenie, you tend to follow your trainer’s lead, but I would advise that you make sure that you work hard every day regardless of what your companion is doing. Never let a companion dictate “your” mission to you. (Trace)
• More of the scriptures and importance of seminary. (Shawn)
• Why stress about anything; relax, study hard, keep the rules, and have fun! Every day should be an adventure! Don’t give one thought about what others think. Be yourself and comfortable with who you are. Stop comparing yourself to others, you are not them…you are uniquely yourself, and important to God’s plan just as you are. You will change, but it will come by virtue of your experiences, not because you are trying to be another person. (David)

Any advice/testimony for pre-missionaries going to Daejeon?

• Missions are hard. They were never meant to be easy. But if you rely on the Lord, you CANNOT fail. Tell him EVERYTHING. Pour out your heart to Him EVERYDAY, even if He already knows what you’re going through, tell Him. (Kyle)
• Make a greater effort to attend the temple often, you won’t be able to attend the temple at all when you’re in Daejeon, and understanding the ordinances of the temple helps in your spiritual progression. Things will start to click. Don’t attach yourself to things or habits (or girlfriends) that would distract you, it just makes it harder on you. The scriptures are your friend and prayer is (in the words of L. Tom Perry) a manifestation of “your divine fellowship” with God. Pray often and pray with passion. (Victor)
• Don’t waste a single minute! It goes too fast!!! (Holly)
• Do all you can to prepare spiritually. Go with a determination to love the people no matter what. Keep the rules and you’ll be just fine. (Jereme)
• Love the people, love the food. Just get rid of any weirdness or picky tendencies you have concerning food. Koreans love their cuisine and if you reject it, you reject them. Give it a try, at least…they always appreciated that and loved us for that. Koreans are some of the most generous people around, but remember they have an Eastern mindset. Saving face is a very real thing. (Sherri)
• Work hard every single day, but also realize that it’s okay to have appropriate fun as well. Don’t get so caught up in proselyting and teaching 12 hours a day that you don’t take time for a little fun along the way from time to time. Stop in a bakery and get a dessert, play ball with kids in a park, etc. (Trace)
• Pray and prepare to be humbled. (Shawn)
• Same as above. (David)
• 먹고 사랑하고 일하라  (경주)

What was a funny language mistake?

• In the MTC, during a lesson I tried to say “even if you don’t know that our message is true…” but I actually said “even if our message isn’t true…” hahaha. Oops… (Kyle)
• Instead of saying, “The moon looks beautiful tonight.” another missionary said to his Bishop, “Your daughter looks beautiful tonight.” Be careful. (달 = moon, 딸 = daughter) Also, be careful when you say the word, “eighteen”. (십팔 = eighteen) Learn the difference between these characters (alphabet characters): ㅈ,ㅉ and ㅂ, ㅃ and ㄷ, ㄸ and ㄱ,ㄲ and ㅅ, ㅆ Small difference in pronunciation; big difference in meaning, depending on the word. (Victor)
• I called an older woman to ask permission to teach her daughter. I said “Pap mogoseyo?” to ask if she’d eaten. She thought I called her an idiot “pabo.” The daughter ended up getting baptized, though, as well as the woman. Testament that the Holy Spirit is the one who converts, not us. (Sherri)
• Too many. Greenies were the best. (Shawn)
• Got my suit back from the cleaners and it said 성교사, rather than 선교사. That was embarrassing. I think they were messing with us. (David)