The beginning of the Seventh-day Adventist work in the Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD) goes as far as May 3, 1888, when Abram La Rue, an American self-supporting missionary, arrived in Hong Kong. By 1909 the Three Angels’ Message had been introduced to China, Japan, Korea, India, Burma, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Ceylon Island, Australia, and New Zealand, But the work was not well established but rather seemed fragile.
In 1909, General Conference (GC) Session named Irwin H. Evans as the Vice President of the GC for the Asiatic Division that was to be the third division after the European Division and the North American Division. The new division embraced the whole Asia, Australia, New Zealand, India, Burma, and Ceylon, but excluding Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia. In 1919, by the decision of the GC, The Asiatic Division was split into the Far Eastern Division (FED), the Australian Union Conference, and the Inda Union Mission, The FED was made up with China, French Indo-china, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Singapore-malay, and Thailand. Since 1921, the East Siberia Union Mission was a part of the FED for a while.
In 1931, the China Division was separated from the FED with the territories of China including Mongolia, Hong Kong, and Macao.
Leaving Shanghai that became the seat of new China Division, the FED office sojourned about in Manila and Baguio until it settled down in Singapore in 1936. It stayed there until the Southern Asia-Pacific Division office moved to Manila in 1999.
As the China Division ceased functioning in 1951, South China Island Union Mission was formed with Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and joined the FED. The East Asia committee (Association) started functioning in mid 1970’s under the guidance of the GC until it became a part of the new NSD in 1997.
In 1986, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka were transferred to the FED from the SUD. In 1995, the name of the FED was changed to the Asia-Pacific Division which lived only for two years due to the bifurcation of the division.
As of January 1, 1997, the Asia-Pacific Division was split into the Northern Aisa-Pacific Division (NSD) and the Southern Asia-Pacific Division. And the territory of the NSD became D.P.R Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Taiwan, China(including Hong Kong and Macao) and R. O. Korea.
In 2019, Chinese Union Mission became directly attached to the General Conference. Since then the NSD has been communication with the GC leaders to enlarge its territories. With the efforts, the administrative area of the Northern Asia-Pacific Division has expanded. Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, which were previously part of the Southern Asia-Pacific Division, and Nepal, which was part of the Southern Asia Division, have been added into the territory of the Northern Asia-Pacific Division at a business session held on the 8th of October, 2023.
Currently, the territory of the Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD) encompasses Bangladesh, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Taiwan; comprising the Bangladesh Union Mission, the Japan Union Conference, the Korean Union Conference, the Mongolia Mission, the Himalayan Section, the Pakistan Union Section, Sri Lanka Mission, and the Taiwan Conference.