North Korea's Christians (Spring 2003)

In a special report on North Korea's Christians, the Washington Post interviewed ex-prisoners who told of torture and harsh treatment endured by Christian prisoners. Being caught with a Bible is grounds for execution. One believer said that a friend risked his life when he listened to Christian radio programmes from South Korea and took notes, which he would smuggle to his friend's house in his hat.

Before Korea was partitioned at the end of World War II, North Korea had around 3,000 churches, the Post reports. After the communists took over, most were closed. Estimates of numbers of Christians in North Korea range from 10,000 to 300,000. Some 6,000 Christians are known to be held in Prison No. 15 in northern North Korea.

The US State Department's report on religious freedom says,

“ Christian prisoners are considered insane, and their families are identified for extermination for three successive generations.”

One non-Christian ex-prisoner said,

“ The torture was most harsh on the Christians and they received the worst ways of execution. They didn't give them clothes. They were considered animals. And in the factories, they killed them by pouring molten steel on them. Believing in God instead of Kim Il Sung was the biggest sin in their eyes.”

Global Prayer Digest reports that while South Korea has grown to the 11th largest economy in the world, many people in North Korea eat grass and roots to survive. Severe flooding as well as government mismanagement has caused a food shortage. Nearly 3,000,000 North Koreans have died from starvation in the past six years.

The North Koreans live in the most oppressed nation in the world. The government controls every part of North Korean life, and it has decided that people must not be Christians. The North Korean government imposes a strange nationalistic philosophy known as juche on her 23.6 million citizens. Thus, there is a physical and a spiritual famine in this land. Of course, we know nothing can separate people from God's love.

Let's pray these people into His Kingdom, where they have freedom from sin and hope for eternal life. Pray that God will open this country's doors to Christian missionaries. Pray for God's will in North Korea.

Absolute Worship

North Korean President Kim Jong il has launched a new movement aimed at rebuilding North Korea and preventing its collapse. The 'revolutionary militant spirit' is designed to build 'a people's paradise'.

Rallies were held across North Korea to spread Mr Kim's new drive with a call for 'absolute worship' of the supreme leader. The movement is named 'Ranam' after the Ranam Coal Mining Machine Complex in North Korea where supposed 'miracles' are being performed by the workers, resulting in improved productivity.

Worship of the one true God is unacceptable. Every year hundreds of Christians are put to death. Christians like Young-hee who got saved while a refugee in China. She sneaked back home to share her new faith. Last year a firing squad executed her.