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Written by Anna Haas
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Wednesday, 30 November 2011 17:58 |
 Imagine the hardest place on Earth to stay alive, with virtual isolation from the rest of the world. It is smaller than the state of Mississippi, with a population of more than 23 million and roughly 200,000 held captive. Operated under a communist dictatorship, its people suffer incomprehensible inhumanities and are starved to death and imprisoned in cells where they can neither lie down nor stand upright.
Located on the northeast border of China, we call this country North Korea. Many are unaware of the suffering that ravages the country, with death as the likely result for citizens who try to escape. North Korea’s powerful government makes it difficult for outsiders to obtain information, and the only view of the concentration camps is through satellite cameras.
“The 200,000 figure [for prisoners] is a good number to work with, understanding that North Korea denies that the camps even exist, making anything other than a good guess impossible,” explained Chris Moore, director of Alpha Relief, an organization that works with the persecuted church in Asia.
Several years ago, two of my brothers traveled with a team of engineers to North Korea on a mission to build greenhouses that could provide food for citizens year-round. Because of the government’s strict control, it enforces immense entrance fees in an effort to detract foreigners from entering the country.
“They initially wanted five tons of rice per person, plus $1,000 US cash,” said my brother, Andrew. “We finally talked them down to one ton of rice per person and $200 US cash.”
This “donation” wasn’t going to feed hungry people, but rather the government and army. As those in power are firmly opposed to Christianity, churches must gather discretely. When churches are detected, the government arrests their members and often executes them. Church leaders are beaten and harshly interrogated in an effort to learn about other churches.
The Bible speaks of Christians enduring suffering in 1 Peter 4:12-19: “…Don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad– for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you… it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name! If you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.”
For citizens of a free country, it can be difficult to envision how life-risking daily activities can be for our neighbors. Most of the outside world doesn’t know what goes on in North Korea because other countries such as South Korea will not publish negative stories and facts about North Korea for fear of making the North Korean government angry.
In 2008, a Korean docu-drama called Crossing was released internationally. The filmmakers are Korean Christians, and their intent was to “tell the story of North Korea, using a human face and real story,” said Moore. Based on a true story, the film tells the life story of Yong-soo, a man who lived in a coal mining town in North Korea with his wife and son. Yong-soo struggled to provide for his family, but he considered himself blessed to be alive and to have the love of his wife and son.
When his wife became ill, Yong-soo found that he could hardly provide food for her, much less medicine. With escaping the country his only chance to save her, Yong-soo told his 11-year-old son to care for his mother and promised that he would be back as soon as he could. Enduring a long and treacherous journey far from home, filled with many life-threatening encounters, Yong-soo suffered being an unwanted refugee in bordering countries, fighting to stay alive and searching for a way to be reunited with his family.
The movie painfully portrays the living conditions under which North Koreans currently live, and stories like this are a reality for its citizens. It is eye opening and worth watching. Although heart breaking, it inspires us to reject apathy and take action to stand with North Koreans and fight the powers of darkness in persecuted nations.
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