About 9 years ago, I was on a train traveling between Kazan in Tatarstan and Moscow. I was with people who were working to spread the Gospel in different parts of the world. On the journey, we got to talking about North Korea, where Christians are under extreme persecution and where millions of people died of starvation during the 1990s. It would therefore be very important that we, who were working to help persecuted Christians, were also active where the persecution is at its worst.
In 2003, the Danish European Mission began its first collections and over the years has helped hundreds of North Koreans find shelter, food and help to cope during the difficult escape from hunger and misery, away from a regime that has made life inhumane for millions of North Koreans. But this effort is and was beyond North Korea's own borders.
Therefore, in 2010, when the opportunity arose, the Danish European Mission began sending medicine into North Korea itself, so that we could help both the persecuted Christians inside the country and those who have fled. Through our Christian cooperation networks, we managed to secure medicine for the hard-pressed Christians. Especially the older North Korean Christians, who are suffering from various diseases, have received medicine from the Danish European Mission, so they can survive and pass the baton on to the younger generation.
The help is much needed because, according to a Danish European Mission source, the situation in North Korea is so serious that doctors and nurses are not being paid, and at the same time there is a lack of medicine in the hospitals. In other words, the health situation is catastrophic. For example, it is estimated that 5 % of the population has tuberculosis.
Recently, in South Korea, I spoke to a person who has extensive knowledge of North Korea. The source told me that hundreds of thousands are still dying. In a village with 3,000 inhabitants, everyone died of starvation about two months ago (probably in February 2011, ed.). Many are completely devastated by hunger. Right now, the North Korean authorities are hiding a lot of emergency aid that cannot be used until 2012, when the regime has apparently propagandized that they will ensure new times for the population. So the food is hidden away from the starving population so that the authorities can make a "show" out of it all in 2012. Meanwhile, people die of hunger. It's cynical and evil, because every soul is valuable, according to our source.
The Danish European Mission has planned to continuously support the work of bringing medicine to the persecuted Christians and in this way strengthen the underground church. The Christians in North Korea are by all accounts very dedicated. They simply memorize the Bible, according to our source. This is perhaps not surprising when you consider how intense it is to live your Christian faith in North Korea. It is reported that Christians are still being sent to labor camps or executed for their faith in 2011. Efforts to empower Christians are still extremely important.
Since 2003, the Danish European Mission has been active in the fight to help North Koreans. We must continue that fight.
