Christians in North Korea face more hardship

ICC Note:

Reuters reports that North Korea is facing the biggest drought in over a decade that may lead to another famine. In order to control their people,  the government  usually blames someone for  bad situations. According to this article, they may accuse Christians and missionaries this time.

06/25/2014 North Korea (MNN) — Isolation, persecution, deception. These words describe reality for Christians in North Korea.

And now, Christians are facing even more hardship.

Reuters reports the country is facing the biggest drought in over a decade.

Army troops are protecting what crops there are, and office workers, farmers, and women have been ordered to direct water to farmland.

Some reports indicate that areas of North Korea have gone 70 days without rain.

The situation spells a high chance for another famine in North Korea.

Christian Aid Mission connected us with a ministry leader in North Korea to discuss recent allegations made by the government against Christians.

While the ministry leader wasn’t aware of those specific allegations, he says it is very possible.

“This is their typical style of accusation. To control their people, they must blame someone, and it is the Christians and missionaries this time,” he says, suggesting that the accusations stem from border security vulnerability.

The ministry leader goes on to explain why Christians are an easy target.

“Christians in that region are willing to risk doing underground activities in order to help North Koreans. They are unselfishly helping the poor and hungry in North Korea in and out of the country by providing food, basic needs, vocational training, and other support.

“When missionaries show compassion and kindness to North Koreans, it is a foreign concept to them.”

He says that the kindness shown to them alongside the truth of God is “a spiritual/intellectual earthquake in their thinking.”

The underground work that Christians are doing is the only way that the North Koreans in the direst of situations will receive help.

“That’s why North [Korea] blames Christians: people are being reached and their lives are changed by the love of Christ.”

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