Now I was standing by a bridge. I walked forward and all the way to the edge, to the place where the bridge was destroyed. I looked down into a partially dried river and at the remains of the cement and iron bars that had held the bridge together. It was like a symbol of the broken connection between North Korea and the rest of the world. Over there on the other side, almost a stone's throw from me, was a regime that let its people starve while the Dear Leader himself lived in luxury. For a moment I wondered if they would shoot from the other side because I dared to take pictures. But that was just a crazy fearful thought that can come when you know that outrageous human rights violations are happening close to you. It's also the place where thousands of Christians continue to cling to faith in Jesus Christ - and the place where many Christians are executed or sent to concentration camps. I was so close to that tortured land, but I kept my distance.
The many who cross the border
Hundreds of thousands of North Koreans have crossed the border risking their lives to escape the misery. Today, there are probably around 100,000 refugees from North Korea in China. But things are going wrong for some of them. Many are sent back. One source told me that day how he once witnessed the forced return of eight North Korean refugees. Children and adults had been discovered by the authorities in China. They were sitting very still in a car, all handcuffed. They were like animals that knew they were about to be slaughtered. My contact said that when he saw them, he was almost petrified. He could hardly move at the thought of these people being sent back to North Korea. His fear was understandable, as there are currently around 200,000 prisoners locked up in horrific labor camps. The eight defectors would be considered traitors and most likely sent directly to one of these labor camps. It was sickening.
There is no sign that the persecution of Christians in North Korea is slowing down. But fortunately, there are also thousands of Christians who manage to survive in everyday life. They are resourceful in their unity and are persistent in their faith despite the circumstances, according to the information I recently received.
I look forward to the day when the many who have felt the humiliation first-hand are set free. Until that day, we can continue to help wherever we can.
Danish European Mission is helping the persecuted Christians in North Korea with a project that provides them with medicine, which is in short supply in the country. At the same time, we are helping those who are fleeing North Korea, and not least children of North Korean mothers. It's a complicated task carried out by people who take great risks to help people from one of the world's most closed countries.
