Classification: Protestant house-church pastor; prisoner of conscience; reported sentenced to four years and six months in prison plus a 10,000-yuan fine. Serving his term with an expected release in June 2028.
Background
Sun Chenghao (孙成浩), born in 1982, is an ethnic Korean-Chinese Protestant pastor in Zhangye, Gansu Province. According to ChinaAid, he moved with his pastor father from northeastern China to Zhangye at an early age and dedicated himself to full-time house-church ministry in his twenties.
The Jeju Island trip and detention
In August 2023, Sun traveled with friends to Jeju Island, South Korea — a visa-free destination for Chinese passport holders — for sightseeing and Christian exchange activities. According to ChinaAid, the group purchased tickets through regular channels, cleared customs normally, and returned to China without incident; Sun collected no fees and created only a WeChat group titled “Jeju Free Travel” for coordination. On December 15, 2023, the Zhangye Public Security Bureau criminally detained him on suspicion of “organizing others to illegally cross national borders.” He was held at the Ganzhou District Detention Center in Zhangye. His family and legal representatives maintain, per ChinaAid and Voice of the Martyrs, that the group entered and left China legally and that the trip did not meet the elements of the alleged offense.
Indictment, trial, and sentence
Sun was formally arrested and indicted by the prosecutor’s office. A pre-trial conference was scheduled for April 29, 2025. On November 20, 2025, the Ganzhou District People’s Court sentenced him to four years and six months in prison and fined him 10,000 yuan (approximately $2,070). His term runs to June 15, 2028. ChinaAid notes that Chinese authorities have used this same charge against other house-church Christians who participated in religious activities overseas.
Reported health deterioration in custody
In late August 2026, Sun’s wife issued an open letter on his birthday, August 25, revealing that his health had deteriorated in prison and that the family had recently been informed he had suddenly lost consciousness. Voice of the Martyrs (Australia), citing ChinaAid, reported that local authorities had not publicly provided further information about his health. On September 2, 2026, the Free China Movement issued a statement expressing concern and calling for prompt medical evaluation, family communication, access to counsel, and credible verification of his condition, while noting that the medical claim itself remained attributed to the family and ChinaAid pending independent or official confirmation.
Status and evidentiary limits
Sun Chenghao is classified as a current prisoner. The “fabricated charges” characterization of the prosecution is ChinaAid’s advocacy position and is presented as attributed reporting, not as an independent legal finding. The reported loss of consciousness is attributed to Sun’s wife via ChinaAid; no independent or official confirmation was available as of the statement date. This profile does not merge Sun Chenghao with any other person of a similar name.
View the Sun Chenghao 孙成浩 — Media Profile & Archive for the full source record, provenance, and evidentiary limits.