In the 1970s, while still a seminarian, Father Kim Dong-il witnessed the spiritual neglect and closure of mission stations in rural areas. Determined to make a difference, he devoted himself to training catechists after his ordination in 1977, hoping to save even a single soul. By 1981, as a parish priest, he expanded his efforts by preparing laypeople for missionary work, which eventually led to the founding of the St. Luke Seok-du Hwang Foreign Missionary Society, comprising Brothers, Sisters, and a Lay Association.

Recognizing the growing disregard for the sanctity of life in the 1980s, he established "Jamowon," the House of the Merciful Mother, as a refuge for single mothers and began caring for abandoned and disabled children. In addition, he actively promoted "Sex and Life Education" in schools and organizations to instill a deep respect for life and its dignity.

 

Since June 1995, under the slogan "Asian Missions by Asians," missionaries have been sent to China and Vietnam. The Society continues to train missionaries for foreign missions, carrying forward the evangelization of Asia—a special mission entrusted to Koreans by St. John Paul II—and preparing to fulfill God's will in the new millennium.