In addition to being the most obscure country in the world, North Korea also has the dubious distinction of being the most oppressive place in the world for Christians, ranking no. 1 on Open Door’s World Watch List for 17 years in a row. The 2014 report of the UN Commission of Inquiry on the Human Rights Situation of North Korea states, “The State considers the spread of Christianity a particular threat, since it challenges ideologically the official personality cult and provides a platform for social and political organization and interaction outside the realm of the State.”

For three generations, everything in the country has focused on idolizing and deifying the leading Kim family. Christians are seen as hostile elements in society. They have to be eradicated. Due to the constant indoctrination permeating the whole country, neighbors and even family members are highly watchful and report anything suspicious to the authorities. Not only are believers deported to labor camps as political criminals or even killed on the spot, but their families will share their fate as well. Christians do not even have the slightest space in society. Meeting other Christians in order to worship is almost impossible and if some believers dare to, it has to be done in utmost secrecy.

TESTIMONIES FROM NORTH KOREAN CHRISTIANS

A.   “Due to the tightened sanctions, there is a sharp increase of the number of people starving to death in North Korea. In spite of heightened security, people are roaming around in the countryside, seeking for food. North Korean residents are in a situation whereby they cannot afford to buy coal imported from China at their marketplace, so they are both hungry and cold.”

According to eyewitness reports by defectors, the food situation is so desperate that in some areas, people resort to cannibalism.

B.  “I talked to my Sister-In-Law in North Korea and asked her how she is doing. She told me that up till then she had made a living smuggling goods, but now the smuggling has completely stopped. It is very difficult to live because Chinese products cannot be sold in the Jang-Ma-Dang marketplace (the black market, not sanctioned by the State). There are now sanctions in China and serious crackdown in North Korea for selling Chinese products. If caught, there are heavy fines to be paid.

“Once the harvest was over, I used to distribute some of the produce to others more needy. This year, it was heartbreaking to experience that the government confiscated what was left, in order to provide for the military.  Residents in rural areas look for potatoes in the snowy fields in the middle of winter. That’s all they have to eat — a few small potatoes. Even the small amount of food distributed to the people is taken away by the military.  “And then — the North Korean authorities are forcing the hunger-stricken people to worship their leader! “In the meanwhile, the North Korean authorities are spending astronomical amounts of money on nuclear development. Please pray that these abuses stop, that they provide the North Koreans with food for living.”

C.  The Following Testimony comes from Moses, a North Korean Trained in China by our Partnering Ministry: Moses (nickname) initially crossed the border from North Korea to China in search of food. There, he happened to meet one of our missionaries who shared the Gospel with him. Moses came to faith and was trained as a worker for the underground church.

After months of training, Moses was on his way back to North Korea when he and his wife were caught by the North Korean border patrol. The officer who interrogated them asked them what they had been doing in China, and to reveal the name and address of the person who had provided training to Moses. The interrogation was so harsh that he could not eat due to a swollen mouth. Instead of revealing who had trained him, Moses wrote down what he had learned about God and the Christian faith. The officers kept beating him over and over again to have him answer the questions posed by the border guards. But again, Moses wrote about the greatness of God’s love he had received in the prior eleven months through the missionary who had given him food when he was hungry, and a place to sleep when he had no place to go. Moses boldly declared that he had never before received such love from anyone. Again, his written confession was torn up and he was required to write the information they demanded again and again, bu he continued to write about God’s love.

The torture continued for four more months till Moses was so weak he could no longer stand. His mouth was so badly swollen that his voice could not be heard. He cried out to God, “If You are real, why should I continue to be tortured? I cannot survive any longer. You brought me to China to believe in You and be trained to be Your worker. I may die even before I serve You inside North Korea.” A few nights later, in a vision he saw those officers hung with thick wires on big telephone poles and they were all dead. Moses knew that it was the picture of these officers on judgement day. Moses then rose up and began to praise God, “Yes, I will be with you, O’ God eternally; but they will not.” But instead of gloating, he felt much pity for those officers and others who were so lost that he began telling the other prisoners about God, while still being beaten and tortured. 

One day a prisoner in the next cell was having severe diarrhea and complained about an upset stomach. His body was completely emaciated since he had not been receiving proper or enough food. When Moses entered his cell, he laid his hand on the sick man and proclaimed healing in Jesus’ name. He had never done this before. As he prayed, the man immediately felt warmth through his body; the diarrhea stopped and he was completely healed! Moses was totally surprised, as he had never before seen a miracle; this was his first! During his training, he had learned from reading the Bible that Jesus healed people.   So, Moses simply did the same, he proclaimed healing in the name of Jesus! Then, he realized that the Word is true, and that there is power in the name of Jesus! God manifested His power of healing! 

Many of the prisoners were paralyzed due to lack of nutrition and being locked up in a small cell without being able to move for long periods of time. When Moses laid his hands on them and prayed in Jesus’ name, one by one the prisoners were healed.   A man’s gums were terrible swollen from an infected tooth so that puss was pouring out of his mouth and caused a terrible smell in the cell.   Moses placed his hand on this sick man’s face and asked God for healing. The swelling subsided immediately, the pain disappeared, and he was healed. Many sick prisoners were healed and came to believe in Jesus as their Lord!

Word about the miracles spread swiftly. One officer came and saw for himself. “This man is a true Christian!” he exclaimed. From then on, Moses was permitted to freely go to cells and pray for the sick since there was no medicine available in the prison.

Long before Moses’ scheduled date of release, a higher ranking officer came to his cell with a written confession and asked Moses to sign it with his thumb print. The document stated that Moses and his wife had gone to China in search of food and had not caused any shame to North Korea’s authorities. This caused Moses and his wife to be released. As they were leaving the prison, the officer told him, “We know you will escape to China, but please return to North Korea when this country becomes a better.   North Korea needs true and genuine Christians like yourself.” The officer expected that North Korea would imminently open.  Instead, Moses and his wife returned to his home town where he planted an underground church. He continues to share his faith and pray for the sick among his people!

MASTERS OF DECEPTION – A GRIM REALITY ON THE GROUND WHILE DEMONSTRATING A BEAUTIFUL FACE TO THE WORLD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FROM R.K.’s CORNER

At the moment of writing, the eyes of the world are on North Korea and the United States, as their two respective leaders, Kim Jong-Un and President Donald Trump, have decided to meet face-to-face to discuss the process of denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. This marks a watershed in history, as Kim Jong-Un, leader of this “Hermit Kingdom”, the most obscure and secretive country in the world, also the most oppressive, is continuing, like his father and grandfather, to threaten annihilation of her arch enemy. Ignored in the past, it is now taken very seriously, being that North Korea is close to having nuclear capability and has vowed to launch a nuclear attack on America and her allies. Prior to this, there has been little diplomatic interaction between the two nations for 70 years, when the Kim dynasty took control of North Korea. Our prayer is that this meeting will result in peace and an end to the imminent danger of a nuclear holocaust.

In 2009, via a partnering ministry, we were given an open door to help support the suffering church in North Korean through a national Christian who has direct access to fellow believers within the country, as well as defectors who have escaped into China. To re-familiarize you with that endeavor, I have placed a link below to our first report from on North Korea, which you will find in the April 2009 Bridge Report in the PDF Archive above for your perusal.  There is also a link below to that report.  Since then, or donors have enabled us to bless our North Korean brothers and sisters with $10,000 worth of Bibles and Leadership training.  https://www.bridgeinternational.org/pdf/april2009.pdf

PLEASE JOIN US IN HELPING OUR SUFFERING BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN NORTH KOREA!

References for Further Information:
https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/stories/inside-look-north-koreas-war-christianity/
https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2017/05/26/528615440/defectors-reflect-on-life-in-north-korea