To what extent can Christians practice their faith in North Korea?
In fact, being a Christian is a very serious crime in North Korea. When you are a Christian, Jesus is the Lord of your life and you refuse to participate in the cult of personality surrounding Kim Jong-il and his father Kim Il-sung, which is considered treason.
Image: Tim Peters
It is extremely risky for Christians to fellowship with other Christians, possess Bibles and spread the gospel. People who are discovered risk being sent to prison camps without any trial. These prison camps are similar to the concentration camps built by the Nazis during World War II. Eyewitness accounts tell how people are treated in the most horrific and humiliating ways imaginable. There are accounts of the regime in these camps pouring molten iron over Christians in an attempt to make them deny their faith.
However, there are a few exceptions. There are a few legal churches in the capital city of Pyongyang, where descendants of the country's early Christian lineages are allowed to meet. However, they are not allowed to evangelize, and the churches serve as "exhibitions" that the regime can display to give foreign visitors the impression that there is freedom of religion in the country.
In addition, if a person is arrested for committing what the North Korean regime describes as a crime, it is not only dangerous for the individual but also for his or her family. According to North Korean criminal law, an entire family can be punished if one family member commits a crime, and families are punished for the crimes of family members for three generations. There are family prison camps where children can be born, grow up and spend years of their lives because of 'crimes' allegedly committed by one of their parents or grandparents. In addition to practicing the Christian faith being punishable, many other 'crimes' are also big enough to send entire families to prison camps. For example, an inappropriate remark about Kim Jong-il or his father, Kim Il-sung, is punishable, as is negligently spilling water or ink on pictures of them.
Isn't the North Korean regime creating a society based on fear?
Yes, the regime's power is based on the inhabitants' fear of being punished, in the worst case being sent to a concentration camp. The fact that an entire family can be punished because one family member is a Christian means that the family can put pressure on family members not to become Christians. Likewise, a Christian can think: "I want to practice my faith, but what are the consequences for my children? Will they risk going with me to a prison camp?" The price of being a Christian is thus very high in North Korea.
One could say that the North Korean regime has created a social structure with built-in social pressure to prevent people from coming to faith in Jesus and openly witnessing about him. As a result, North Korean Christians are often very cautious when they do choose to share the Good News with their fellow countrymen.
This is also true when it comes to raising children. School teachers are trained to ask students certain questions that can reveal whether there are Bibles in children's homes and whether a family is Christian. The use of these tactics also means that parents are pressured to hide their faith from their own children and not raise them in the Christian faith. Instead, the regime tries to brainwash children in school, even as early as kindergarten.
Can you tell us about the current situation in the country?
The country's leader Kim Jong-il is seriously ill. However, the system, which is a family dynasty and thus unique in the communist context, is structured in such a way that it is likely to continue even if the successor is not suitable as leader. Kim Jong-il has named his third son, Kim Jong Eun, as his successor. He is said to have a ruthless personality. It's a bad sign that his father has named him as his successor, as he may tighten the strict iron grip the population is already trapped in.
What can Christians in Danmark do?
As for the underground church, it needs all the support we can give it. Due to the lack of food and medicine in the country, the health of the older generation of underground church leaders is weakened. With the help of the Danish European Mission, we provide medicine to the underground church in the country through secret channels so that sick and persecuted North Korean Christians can receive help. In addition, the health of older leaders can be improved to enable them to train a new generation of leaders to lead the underground church in the future. Finally, we can make a difference for the persecuted Christians in North Korea through our prayers. Pray for the following: the health of the persecuted North Korean Christians, that they have access to Bibles, that they receive good Bible teaching, for their safety, and that God gives the leaders wisdom in their work.
