Moody Chorale Korea Tour 2025

The Moody Chorale performs at the Gyeongnam International Choral Festival in South Korea

From May 25–June 7, the Moody Chorale—under the direction of their Conductor, Dr. Yongmin Kim—had the honor of touring and performing in South Korea.

After flying from Chicago to Seoul, the Chorale represented the United States at the Gyeongnam International Choral Festival from May 29–June 1. Three other international choirs from Australia, Singapore, and Malaysia were featured, alongside several choirs from Korea. At each night’s concert, The Moody Chorale sang several songs, particularly delighting the audience when they sang in Korean!

The final concert of the festival was held at the renowned Youngnak Church in Seoul. You can view that entire concert here: Gyeongnam International Choral Festival Final Concert. (The Moody Chorale enters at 1:18:00.)

During the second week of the tour, the Moody Chorale performed at the following prestigious schools and churches:

 1 June                Youngnak Church

2 June                 Boseong Girls’ Middle School and Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary

3 June                 Global Vision Christian School

4 June                 Myungsung Church

6 June                 YeDarm Global Academy

At many of these concerts, Professor Raychel McKelvy recited Scripture, Chorale members shared powerful testimonies of God’s redemptive work in their lives, and Dr. William Washington (VP and Dean of Student Life and Enrollment) gave a message from the Word.

Throughout their time in Korea, God worked through the Chorale to encourage and challenge the thousands of people who attended their concerts. But God also worked in their lives as well.

Here’s what a few Chorale members said about the tour:

“The first and foremost feeling I get from this tour is how God is gracious with us, and that we can do nothing without God's empowering us…Many times, I would listen to us warming up, thinking that we could do better…but every time when I had that thought, God spoke to my heart: you are here to honor me, and I will give you strength…I believe that this is how God prepares me for my future service for Him.”  –Yaxin Zhong

“Some highlights of the tour were getting to come together multiple times in prayer for one another, for Dr. Kim, for the other choirs at the festival, and for the different people we would be ministering to throughout the time we spent in South Korea. Also, enjoying the community and getting to know the different professors more personally was a huge encouragement and blessing. This tour was special…One of the most powerful parts of the tour was singing so many songs in Korean. Though it was difficult at times to learn them, it was an honor and blessing to witness what God can do through singing in the language of the people we are ministering to. Through this tour, God worked in my life by providing times for me to experience full reliance on Him and also reminded me of the importance of prayer, dedication to ministry…and the power of encouragement through words, listening, and song.” –Rachel Pisha

“This wasn’t just a music tour—it was a ministry trip. I believe we truly ministered to others, and I also believe God ministered deeply to us. I saw how our songs, our character, and even our personalities were used to reflect Christ’s love. Multiple people told me how moved they were—not just by our music, but by how we treated one another and the people around us…Mr. Park (our tour guide) said he was especially impressed by our professionalism, humility, and warmth…And every time we sang in Korean, I saw the joy on people’s faces—their smiles, their tears. It was clear they were touched by the care we took to prepare songs in their language. Above all, this trip was a wake-up call for me. In many ways, I had grown complacent…Getting out of my routine and immersing myself in another culture was both refreshing and humbling...This tour, the people, the culture, the ministry, the music—you, Dr. Kim—have all left a mark on my soul. I know these memories will return to me again and again, not just because they were beautiful, but because they were deeply formative. I truly can’t forget.” –Alexis Millet