[imText1]“When North Korean church members meet, they send their children outside the room. This is because it is too dangerous for even the children to know that they believe in Jesus.”
On the 29th, Todd Nettleton, Director of News Services for the Voice of the Martyrs, a U.S. based non-profit, interdenominational missionary organization revealed at a conference with a U.S. Christian publishing group Agape Press “Even amidst the danger of being arrested and punished, North Korean church members will not give up their faith.”
Reiterating the words of one missionary worker in North Korea, he revealed “North Korean Christians practice their faith dangerously under the constant oppression and persecution of authorities” and “Whenever they meet for bible study or service, they meet in small groups of 3~4 people, taking various precautionary measures such as shading all the windows.”
Further he said “North Korean citizens who believe in Christianity or missionary workers who are active in North Korea are in grave danger” and “If members are discovered by authorities in North Korea, they may be locked up in jail or may even be sentenced to execution.”
He added “People are extremely wary of telling others about believing in Christianity and family is no exception” and alleged “In the case children innocently unveil their parent’s secret at school the whole family may be arrested and all sent to gulags.”
He explained “The average sentence given to a person charged with believing in Jesus is 15 years, but many of the prisoners in the gulags die without having passed 5 years.”
He revealed “Though thousands of North Korean people are being imprisoned for their beliefs, North Korean citizens with a strong faith will not give up their belief” and “Small groups are continuously being held to share the message of the bible.”
Last March, an international missionary organization ‘Open Doors International’ conducted a worldwide survey on the severity of Christian persecution ‘2006 World Watch List’ in which it revealed that “Of the 50 nations under Christian persecution, North Korea has for the fourth year in a row remained the worst violator of religious freedom.”
Open Doors estimates North Korean underground church members to reach 200~400 thousand people, of which about 40 thousand Christians are being imprisoned in various gulags throughout regions of North Korea.
