Some photoes

I thought that the U.S. steal aid that the world donate to give us.

Reporter: But, the U.S send the most aids to North Korea

We are educated in that way. Since aids-such as rice- spanned through the U.S, We thought that

U.S pockets them

Reporter: If I would take you to the any place around the world, where do you want to go?

North Korean Child : (Silence)

Reporter: Where do you want to go the most?

North Korean Child :.................anywhere except North Korea

During rainny season in North Korea, plenty of corpes float on the River Duman.

Even though we want to hear about outside of the world, we can't.

We have learned about South Korea as a poor capitalist country

where the riches become richer, and the poor become poorer.

Also, we learned that elementary students have to comb through the trash cans,

sell cigarette and work as a shoeblack.

Reporter: When you were in North Korea,

have you ever heard of any negative opinion of North Korean government?

We are forbid to say that. If we say some kind of critics of NK government,

we will be killed in hours.

Since there are numerous people died of starving, there are no place to bury them

so they bury 3~4 dead bodies at one place

Christine's thought
       I feel the importance of education once more. I have heard that North Korean government brainwash people from the baby to the old man. I have seen the animation for kids that has a message "The U.S is evil, and we are the victims." I could not understand why do they believe in Kim Il-Sung or Kim Jung-Il as sons of god, but they are educated (...Brainwahsed.........) and even though they knew they are forbid to say those or they would be killed. No wonder they have enmity towards South Korea, and the U.S.
Even though I have searched little bit about North Korea, I cannot imagine how severe would it be in the real world. The thing that I can help them is to spread these kinds of things to the people around me and make them to have attention to our neighbor.
Prayer requests
* Let us remember the people in the North Korea and love them as we love ourselves. Let us be the one who can pray for them with the heart of Jesus Christ.

How much do you know about Prison Camp in North Korea?

P r i s o n  C a m p ? 

what is prison camp?

North Koreans call the prison camp as restricted area, moving area, banishment camp, or management office. Generally they call it "management office"

The government and Jung-il Kim do not want to let the people around the world know about the prison camp. They want to keep it secret and one of the ways to achieve their goal is to change the name of it. They call it Chosen Inmin Gyongbi dae(North Korean people's guards) and camouflage as an army, or a village.

General people in North Korea, as a result, do not know exactly about the prison camp and assuredly, they know less about it than South Koreans or people around the world know about the prison camps.

These prison camps accommodate more than 200,000 people without trials, revolutionist, pro-Japanese group, Christians, and people who criticized communism and longing for freedom. However, politicians who lost in the veiled enmity  power struggles and their families sent to the prison camp, and as North Korean government pushed ahead with the idolization of Kim Jung-il, prison camps were packed with people.

There are initializations which keep prisoners from running away. At the boundaries, there are barbed-wire fence that is 3~4 meters high, and places where prisoners can easily escape there are electric fence, mine fields, traps, and fences. They watch day and night at the barbicans which is 7meters long every 2 km.

If someone get caught when he try to flee from the prison camp, many times he indiscriminately shot to dead or killed by commando unit for training purposes. Once someone enters the prison camp, it is so sure that he does not have any kind of right as a people of North Korea or even right as a human. He is considered as a tool which provides product. He is no longer a citizen of N.Korea, he is disenfranchised, limits the right to be educated, food rationing, marriage, and even childbirth. Visit is abandoned; any kind of contact with outside of the prison camp is prohibited.

Schedule of prisoners are different but the ones who work in the farm get up at 5~6 in the morning, work until 8 pm and after roll call and brainwashed by communist every night they go to bed at 10 pm. Ones who work in the mine are severe than those who work in the farm. They had to work more everyday without consideration of time.

They eat corns, potatoes, wheat, barley and they are given to once at harvest and regardless of the kind of food, 600g for the workers of mine and 500g for the other ones but it decreased to 100~200g because of  shortage of food. Vegetables are hardly given, and little bit of salt, soybean pasts, soy sauce.

Becuase of lacking food, prisoners even eat the pea in the cow-pat or frog eggs, and live on the floor made out of bark. Prisoners are suffering of malnutrition, pellagra, tuberculosis, heptatitis and so on.

Prison camps are located at Hamkyong bukdo, Pyongan Nam,Bukdo, Jagang do-places with rough and irregular sides.

Prayer requests

*please pray for those who are kept in in the prsion camp_and especially who are kept because of their faith to believe in Jeses Christ_ to stand firm and bear all the persecutions

information from:

http://www.nkgulag.org/korea/s02_1.htm?mode=read&read_no=2&now_page=1&menu=

I sell you my daughter for 1cent

I sell you my daughter for 1 cent 

                                                                   Jin-Sung Jang

I sell you my daughter for 1 cent
Hanging the sign aroun the neck
Her daughter was standing next to her
That women at the marcket place

She was a mute
Seeing the daughter who was sold
And the mom who was selling
People were cursing at them
The women did not react

She was not crying
When her daughter hugged her
Cried out that her mom caught the fatal disease
The women was standing still

She did not thank

When a soldier gave her 1 cent

and saying that I bought your motherhood
not your daughter
She just ran to somewhere with that money

She was a mother
Giving a bread  to her daughter
That she bought with 1 cent
She was sobbing and cried out

Forgive me, daugther

 [내 딸을 백원에 팝니다_장진성]

I am sure that i made a lot of mistakes when I translate this poem,

and I couldn't  bring the touching that I received from it

This poem is written by Jin-Sung Jang who fled from North Korea

and He wrote it out of the real story.

Still, there are plenty of starving people in North Korea, and according to North Koreans who fled from North Korea, there are hundreds of people who are dying of starvation everyday (in one village) 

They buried them and when it rains, mongrels tore off arms, legs, heads, or parts of the dead bodies.

It is just a part of the whole.We cannot measure how severe it is in North Korea.

a kernel of wheat

Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains (John 9:41)

 North Korea, where I live, does not know about neither God nor His Words. For that reason, North Korean youths committs so many sins in every day of their lives. When I finished reading John 9, which tells about Jesus heals the blind, my heart was broken for North Korea does not know the truth, Jesus Christ. If I were not saved, I might be spiritual blind.
 After I  visited China and one time I watched the movie 'Crossing'. North Koreans cried out that God only dwells in the South(Korea) not in the North, and I couldn't see them more. I strongly recognized that my country ignored God for the long time. Now I want to give my live to Christ like the ones who teach me Word of God.
 Through Bible studying classes, God tought me so many things, and I was so affected when there was Christmas event in the church. On December 24th, I saw Christmas festival. Praising didn't stop, and my faith grew stronger. The next day, I heard the pastors preaching, and I decided to live like a grain of wheat in John 12:24 (

 I tell you the truth,unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies,it remains only a single seed,But if it dies,it produces many seeds) for North Koreans. Even though the church was full of unwelcome guests-polices-, Christ was with me and I felt great joy from my heart. I could be sure about the Lord who strengthens me and guides me. I prayed that Let us, North Koreans, enjoy Christmas freely in our own homeland and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

After finishing all the Bible studies, I want to be the Bible teacher and teach North Koreans. I will keep praying for my countrym, and my people who are sleeping in the darkness, without the light, Jesus Christ.

December 26th, 2009
from XX Choi,  Pyongyang

NK executed three christians

North Korea executed three christians who built 'secret church'

Aug 4th,2010

       On Aug 4th, an academic society made by North Korean defector_(http://www.nkis.kr/) presented that North Korean government executed three christians and arrested dozens of christians who ran the underground churches.
      According to what the reporter said, last May 23 North Koreans got caught the fact that they ran a small underground church, and they were arrested. Three of them were executed, and rest of them are sent to prison camp.
 Executed three traveled China and accepted Christ as their savior, and when they came back, they evengelized to family, cousins, and people they know.


      NK governemnt found out that they evengelized not only in Pyongseoung but also Shinuiju, launched an investigation. Reporter said that the ones who met christians privately, are investigated. He added, the conditions around North Korea are not going well, so regular people easily believes in  superstitions or religions. Moreover, governemnt already knew it, the punishments are harsh.

Testimony of one North Korean Christian

  I was born in ChungJin, Ham-kyoung-buk-do, North Korea and lived there for 50 years. For God’s grace, I could leave North Korea with my son and came to South Korea in 1996. Since I was born in N.Korea and grew there, I didn’t know God.  This story is about the North Korean Christians I saw in the prison camp when I sent there after severe torturing for no reason.

     I graduated the Faculty of Economics in Kim-Il-Sung University so I could direct people and financial affairs as a prisoner in the camp which accommodates 6000 people. I could go any working places whenever I want. One day, the prison officer called me and trained me hard saying, “You have to go to a factory and there are full of psyches. Don’t give a sight to those people. Take a grip on yourself. Don’t ever talk to them and if you believe in the ’GOD’ they believe, you are going to die. ”

     The first time i saw them in the factory, I was so shocked. They didn’t seem like HUMANS. The factory was blast furnace which was burning at the temperature of 1500℃ and when the crowd moved they looked like the crowd of beasts, or aliens that I couldn’t a human feature among them. No one had hairs, their faces looked like skulls, and they had no teeth. Their height shrieked in to 120~30cm so they looked like dwarves. I watched them closely with surprise. When they came here they were normal, but because they worked there 16~18 hours everyday without meals in that burning place, their backbone were melted and became lumps at the back. Their body were bend that their chest and belly were attached. Every one of them was ruined in that way. The prison officers came in and out at anytime for force them to work. They didn’t do just with words but also with cow hind whips. They hit them with whip even though Christians working speechlessly.
   The Christians didn’t wear clothes. At first time I saw them from a distance, I thought they wear something black but as walk nearby, it were not clothes. They wore rubber apron on bare skin.  The flame from the furnace splashed on their emaciated skin continually, the skin became scab and the flame splashed upon it, burned it again and again that their skin looked like beasts’ skin.

    One day, I opened the door of the factory, and it was total silence. In the middle of the place there were two prison officers with several hundreds of “prisoners”(Christians), and they raved with fury, roared crazily. I was scared to death so I stood near the door. The officers kicked them, beat them say that they are lunatics who are not believing in sky (God), not Kim-Il-Sung. They said “If anyone of you come up and say that you are going to believe in Kim-Il-Sung and reject sky, then we will give you freedom and give you riches.”, and whipped them, kicked them again. And it was strange. Hundreds of Christians said nothing though officers whip them hard. I thought that if anyone says that he will believe in Kim-Il-Sung, officers stop these things and no one will die because of this. If they keep silence officers will kill one of them, then why does no one say something.

At that time, one of the officers full of anger, pulled any eight Christians and put their face on the ground. He mashed them again. Eight people soon became full of blood out of their body, and their backbones and legs were broken. The Christians gave a groan and I didn’t know what they are saying. (It was Lord, Lord, and I didn’t know who He is. Later I found out that the Lord they called when officers hit them was God. I cannot transmit the torture that Christians suffered.)

The officers brought burning rusty water out of furnace. They said “Let’s see who’s going to live. Will it be you who believe God or us who believe in Kim-Il-Sung” and poured that thing on the bloody Christians they kicked. Christians’ bones and skins were melted and they became the lumps… I’ve never seen that cruel happening before, and that scene didn’t left me for several months. Before I saw that, I thought I have to believe in Kim-Il-Sung but, after that I realized one thing-which I have to believe. I strongly realized that I have to believe in God. I prayed everyday that “If you, the one who Christians believe though they are dying, really exist, please save me. You have to punish those wicked people.” Then God really heard that prayer.

There were public execution every month, and communists gather 6000 prisoners at one place. During execution, they sat people who should be executed in the first row. Especially Kim-Il-Sung ordered that when they sat Christians who believe in “sky” (which is God,) officers force Christians to put their head between knees to not to make them see the sky. Also that day, Christians were at the first row, and there were other people behind them. When I thought ‘who is going to be executed again?’ they called my name. I was so surprised that I couldn’t answer or stand up. Officers drove me to the first row, and when I was in front of everybody, the manager of the prisoner camp told me that “you are released for grace of Kim-Il-Sung.” Right that time, the Christians at the first row looked at me as if they were promised to do that. I could feel what they are trying to say. Please tell these to the world…

I still believe that God saved me from severe prisoner camp which is known for not releasing people. I can strongly say that those Christians in North Korea are martyrs of this generation. Ladies and gentleman, thank God for having a freedom to worship God. And please pray for North Korea

 From. KOSTA 2006

History of Christianity in North Korea

History of North Korean Christianity

 

1. Before independence

In 1938,  The General Assembly of Presbyterian Church refuse to worship Japanese gods, or shrine, the persecution of Japanese became harsher than ever. 200 churches were closed, 2000 christians were arrested and 50 pastors were martyred all through out the Korea. Because of it, the number of Christians, which were nearly 700,000 decreased in to half. After Korea gain independence from Japan, all the body of Christians splended the built of churches  and association.

2.   The time of Limitation (1945~1950)

One North Korean Christian copied Bible
to keep it.

Between 1945 and 1950, it was time of limitation upon Chritianity. Il-sung Kim and his followers couldn’t do full suppression but only on little things such as singing hymns loudly or having a large meeting of christians. It was because his communist association had little power and the people of North Korea didn’t support them.  Moreover, North Korean christianity had much more power in politics and Il-sung Kim needed their “cooperation”. As I said they condoned church, buddist temple, or Catholic church but limited their activity. However, they limited more on Christianity which had more power than other religion . They collapsed the economic base of Christians by confiscate the lands.  They forced christians to support Il-Sung Kim and absorbed civil religious organization.

3. The time of tough suppression (1950~1953)

 From 1950, Communist arrested christians if they found out the religious observances. They combed the houses  of religious people and if they found religious books, they regarded them as rebellious documents and arrested the people. The Korean war became a trial to every christians. As the war occured, North Korean government they arrested Christians and ordered to Kill them all. Christians rebelled against communists, and as the UN troops retreat, many of christians followed them.

North Korean government destroeyd churches and many times they were used as storages for war supplies. They even put useless tanks or cannons to make churches the target of air-raid.  North Korean government  made people who saw that the churches were destroyed by American air-raid to have hostilities towards American and their religion-which is Christianity. Non believers in North Korea regarded Christians as traitor from that time on, and still North Korean government use them for persecution. 

North Korean governement tried to sweep the christianity before the Korean War, and even during the war. Because many of pastors and believers were killed at that time, North Korean Christianity got a decesive blow. From that time on, North Korean Christianity hide underground .

4. The time of hunting down underground churches(1954~1971)

   As the North Korean government failed to accomplished the goal during the Korean War, they had a meeting and decieded to root out the anticommunist force by strengthen the policy(계급교양) . It is the education which strongly oppose the theism but believe in atheism. In the company, society, village, communists gathered the ones who were rebelled to communism and told them to confess their  free will. So the christians had to go to underground which others may not know. To track down the underground churches, North Korean government analyze the informations of each north korean.

 Because of it, many of churches were found and the famous incident was the story of pastor Man-Hwa Lee. From 1954, when the government prohibitted the private management of farms and forced to work in collective farm, pastor Lee was put in to a farm and worked hard. Meanwhile, he met people by people and teach them Bible. Due to that, many underground christians were emerged, and after the ceasefire there were 10 secret organizations, and there were more than 2000 christians. The worship was taken during the recess without formaliy, and talked about Bible naturally. The North Korean government thought there’s something strange so they sent 300 secret polices and searched the house of workers who were absent on sunday. There were 2 families who had worship, and because they were caught by the polices, they were tortured  horribly. Pastor Man-hwa Lee, who was unable to bear the sight of them tortured,  appeared and was martyred with 20 other christians.  Communist exterminated underground christians more and more.

In 1959, the book written by Ha-chul Jung, why do we have to oppose christianity? states clearly about the suppression policy upon christians. There are several reasons for them-which are not resonable-. As you see this communists considered christians as political prisoners.

1.        A lot of  christians betrayed North Korea and defected to South Korea.
2. When North Korean forces retreat, christians helped UN forces devotively
3. Some christians exaggerate that American forces are ’Soldiers of God’, and rebelled to communism  
4. North Koreans refused to join the North Korean army, but fought for American soldiers.

North Korean government forfeited all the church facilities and used them as communists’ conference hall, kindergarten etc… and didn’t leave a church in Pyoung-An-Do(state) At this time they isolited and administrated the left christians.

6. The time of disguising faith(1972~1980)

As North and South Korea’s relationship has improved, they started to “disguise Faith”. ’Association of Christians’,'Choseon Buddist Union’, and ‘Catholic Headquaters’ activated their move. These pseudo pseudo organizations were for several reasons.

1.  To use to hunt the underground churches
2. Used as “subterfuge” to show the world that there is a freedom for religious people
3. To instigate Korean Christians into antigovernment campaign

In August 9th, 1972, there was North-South Redcross conference, and korean reporters asked  Pastor Yang-Uk Kang, who is brother of Il-Sung Kim’s grandfather and general. They asked this. ” Why are there no churches in North Korea, or Are there any christianity here?”  and he replied, “Because of the Korean War which was caused by american imperialists, all the churches were destroyed because of  air raid.

Therefore there are many people who gave up to believe religion, and still there are some of them who are eager to believe but we don’t know where they are.”

Pastor Yang-Uk Kang suggested contact with both countries’ christians in September 1972,  started to oppose South Korea. Moreover they  tried to permeate international religious group such as WCC. However WCC refuced because they claim that they cannot grasp the reality of christianity in North Korea. After they join to CPC, they slander and blame South Korea. They focused on political activity so that they can win other christians.

The reason why North Korean government kept on religious association can be found in the secret letter of Il-Sung Kim in 1975. It says, “We have questions why do we  have those religious associations even though we oppose the religion. First, Korea is divided in to two, and there are bunch of religious people around the world so if we don’t acknowledge religions, then there will be more enemies who oppose us. Second, the foregioners or Korean Japaneses who visit this country inquire why do we prohibit to have a religion. Then we answer, we permit religion but the people are not awakened to have a religion. Also there are so many religious people in South Korea, if they think that we kill every people who have faith in religion, they will join to the ones who are against us. So we keep these unnecessary associations.”

7. The time of publicize the freedom of religion(1980~present)

    Though they keep persecuting christians, they opened their culture to the West, pretending they give the religious freedom to the people.  Especially, when there are visits of overseas Korean or foreigner they distributes the Bibles and Hymns and arrange worships in the prepared place, they publicize that they are assure the religious freedom. 

The North Korean government emphasizes Christianity if they think that it is usable to promote, but actually they prohibits christianity but brainwash the people with the new religion claims that Kim Il-Sung is the only god.