MY ACCOUNT
Timothy, one of many persecuted Christians in North Korea, eventually escaped and now lives in the UK. Looking back on his past, he vividly remembers the day when North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung died on July 8, 1994. He asked his father, “Are we all going to die because of his death?”
His father replied: “No, we now follow his son, Kim Jong Il.”
Kim Il-Sung died in the rainy season, and North Korean media portrayed this as symbolic. “Even the sky is crying for the death of the ‘sun of mankind,’” they said.
Though decades have elapsed since Kim Il-Sung’s death, ordinary citizens must still show their sorrow; even the persecuted Christians in North Korea who worship Jesus in secret must feign their sadness for Il-Sung when in public. In fact, every citizen is expected to visit monuments to him each July on the anniversary of his death. They are also required to reverence and idolize the rest of the Kim family, including current leader Kim Jong Un.
Daily reinforcement is unavoidable
Belief in the Kim family is reinforced by the requirement that every North Korean citizen think about them, bow to them and speak of them every day. There are about 50,000 monuments to honor the Kim family across the country to facilitate this “worship.”
Morning to evening, every North Korean is subject to indoctrination through television, radio, newspapers, and even loudspeakers. Even for the secret believers, being a Christian in North Korea means there is simply no escape from the message that North Korea is ruled by a god from the Kim family.
North Korean children are taken from their parents at age 2 and put into state nurseries. Their earliest memories are hearing that Kim Il-Sung is the eternal god, and the entire Kim family are also deities. The first words they are taught to say are, “Thank you, Father Kim Il-Sung.”
Anti-Christian propaganda is rampant
In contrast, artwork and propaganda depicting Christian beliefs is universally violent, showing Westerners and Christians violently killing Koreans. Children are taught from an early age that Christians in North Korea are evil spies who will kidnap, torture and kill them. One defector who converted to Christianity said he was terrified of the first Christians he met because he was taught they would harvest his organs.
Fear is a way of life in North Korea … fear of not showing enough reverence for their gods … fear of Christians and people of other faiths … even fear of one’s own family members and neighbors.
The walls have ears
In an article for Fox News, writer Caleb Parke made an observation that should take our breath away. “When reading Matthew 18:20,” Parke writes, “‘For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them,’ North Koreans see a different version: ‘Where two or three are gathered, one of them is likely a spy.’”
Children are required to report any kind of faith in their homes to their teachers. As a result, parents hide their faith from the rest of the family. There are even reports of a husband or wife not realizing the other is a Christian for many years. To share such precious truth with a child is to be vulnerable to the child making a slip in front of friends or teachers. The consequences are disastrous.
Persecution Consequences: Imprisonment, Labor Camps, and Execution
To be a persecuted Christian in North Korea is often a death sentence; it means either immediate execution or a sentence to a labor camp as a political criminal. Three generations are sometimes enveloped in the catastrophe, as parents, the believer and his or her children are all viewed as enemies of the people. If discovered, a Christian can face:
- Arrest, torture, or execution
- Being sent to prison camps (political criminal status)
North Korean refugees who escape can be captured, interrogated, or killed if repatriated
At this time, the US State Department estimates that approximately 70,000 persecuted Christians in North Korea are imprisoned for their faith. North Korean Christians exist, but in secret and under threat of elimination. It is certainly one of the most difficult nations on earth in which to be a believer.
Examples of Christian Persecution in North Korea
Secret Christians and House Churches
Christians in North Korea are almost always underground. House churches are often family-based to limit risk. Believers meet in secret, sometimes only two or three people, and always with fear. Christian persecution in North Korea forces them to hide Bibles, hide faith, and avoid any form of detection.
Refugees Return at Great Risk
Some North Koreans who converted to Christianity while fleeing into China (or after hearing the Gospel) try to return home. If discovered, they are punished severely.
Stories of Escape
Dongwon, a North Korean defector, once an atheist, found the gospel after leaving his country. Reading a Bible for the first time, he learned about Jesus Christ and salvation. His faith grew despite despair.
Another story: Jung Jik’s father became Christian, then was captured and deported back. Jung Jik also faced prison. Yet even in prison, belief in Jesus held strong.
How Christians Survive Spiritually
Faith Hidden, Hope Alive
Though outward expression is nearly impossible, Christian beliefs are lived quietly. Believers memorize scripture, pray alone, teach children in secret. The Bible verse Philippians 4:7 is often quoted: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Faith is sustained by hope that, in Christ, they are never alone—even if no one else sees their faith.
Network Beyond the Border
South Korea, mission groups, and ministries in China and elsewhere help. Smuggled Bibles, underground distribution, balloons with Christian pamphlets flown across the border, and Christian radio broadcasts attempt to reach North Korea Christian persecution victims with the Word of God.
Is there any hope?
Timothy has experienced the wind of freedom. He has not given up hope that his home country can one day come to faith and freedom, as well.
“In the UK I have discovered who I am, what I love and care about, and what I stand for—our democratic constitutional values of freedom of faith, expression, speech and opportunity,” he said. “Like many other North Koreans, I grew up without my parents’ love and under the Kim family’s totalitarian indoctrination. But today I know the love of my true heavenly Father, I see the beauty of God’s creation in humanity, and I have a commitment to love and care for others. I hope when the North Korean people are finally given freedom, they will also choose to stand for humanity and love for others.”
What You Can Do
- Pray for North Korean Christians, and for the Holy Spirit to protect and strengthen them.
- Support ministries working with North Korean refugees, helping them find safe houses in South Korea or elsewhere.
- Advocate with governments and aid agencies to apply pressure on the North Korean government for religious freedom.
- Provide practical help: smuggle or supply Bibles, support underground church networks, aid escape routes.
-Ask God to encourage His children in North Korea, so that His peace fills their hearts, and His love wraps around them to let them know they are not alone, and they are not forgotten (Phil. 4:7).
About The Author
Abigail Hart is a staff writer for Global Christian Relief, a nonprofit Christian ministry that works to strengthen persecuted believers and raise awareness regarding Christian persecution. For more information, visit our website at GlobalChristianRelief.org.
