[10][3]: 69–82 [16][17] In December 2009 he was detained in North Korea for illegal entry after crossing the Sino-Korean border on Christmas Day[18][19] to protest against the country's human rights situation.

Prior to his involvement with North Korea-related work, Park was active as a missionary in Sonora, Mexico, where he had assisted in the organization and delivery of humanitarian relief over several years.

[citation needed] On December 25, 2009, he crossed the Chinese border into North Korea by walking across a frozen stretch of the Tumen River.

[23] In a media interview conducted prior to his journey and published after his arrest, Park said he believed it was his duty as a Christian to do whatever he could to protest against human rights violations in the country,[24] and that he was entering North Korea to call forcefully for the release of political prisoners, who he has argued through numerous articles are victims of genocide and crimes against humanity as defined under international law.

[3]: 75–79 Post-detention and release, Park began to compose music and poems to cope with trauma as well as continue to address human right issues.

[49][50][51] Concerning his song, "Indifference," recorded and released via music video in demo form, The Big Takeover site highlighted the track as "an enraged and sagacious masterpiece" and Park's songwriting in general as "heart-rending, relevant and timeless.