Throughout the month of May, you will come face to face with the reality of persecution through the stories of seven courageous believers ICC helped rescue. They are not just distant headlines or statistics — they are real people, with real names, real suffering, and real faith. These are the “faces of the persecuted.”

05/26/2025 North Korea (International Christian Concern) – In the isolated country of North Korea, where freedom of speech, thought, and religion are tightly controlled, simply possessing a Bible can lead to imprisonment, torture, or even death. Despite the extreme risks, Christians in North Korea continue to cling to the Word of God, their faith unbroken by the iron fist of the regime.

Illyong Ju, a defector who escaped the brutality of North Korea, recalls the immense dangers his family faced in their pursuit of faith. Illyong remembers huddling with his family in the darkness of their small, poverty-stricken home in Chongjin, listening to a forbidden Christian radio broadcast. Their actions were a defiant act of resistance in a land where even the slightest expression of religious belief can lead to a death sentence.

Illyong’s parents decided to defect to South Korea so they could freely practice their belief. For several years in the 2000s, one by one, his family members were able to escape the totalitarian state and settle in Seoul.

His Christian relatives, on the other hand, were not as fortunate. His aunt’s entire family was thrown into a political prison camp, which means almost certain death, just because her aunt’s father-in-law was a Christian.

“It was my cousin’s family, they were all executed for sharing the gospel,” Illyong added.

Three leaders of the church who were responsible for spreading the gospel in North Korea were also sent to the notorious political prison camps.

Despite North Koreans being imprisoned and tortured for their faith, Illyong said Christian activities are still happening inside prison camps. His defector coworker, Mrs. Kim, once told him how she kept her faith going and evangelized several others when she was imprisoned in North Korea.

“I want to say to the people who are being persecuted, please don’t lose your hope,” Illyong said, speaking out for those still trapped under North Korea’s oppressive regime. “We are fighting for you, and our God is fighting for you — and we win. God has already won. So please don’t lose hope, and please stay firm.”

The danger of Bible possession in North Korea is all too real. In May 2023, the regime sentenced a 2-year-old child to life in prison after his parents were arrested for owning a Bible based on reports from the U.S. Department of State. This shocking act illustrates the severity of North Korea’s crackdown on Christian faith. Even young children are not spared from the wrath of the regime. As many as 70,000 Christians and other religious minorities are estimated to be imprisoned in brutal labor camps, where torture and death are all too common.

Yet, despite the constant threat of death, persecution, and imprisonment, the gospel is alive. Underground churches continue to thrive in secret, with believers worshiping in the shadows of mountains, hills, and prison camps. In some cases, prisoners, like Mrs. Kim, continue to preach and convert others in the most unimaginable circumstances. Mrs. Kim, who was tortured and raped in prison, found strength in her faith, saying, “Jesus, I am full of pain right now, but how painful were you? You were crucified for me.”

Though they are persecuted and oppressed, North Korean Christians are unshaken in their commitment to the faith. Their courage to hold onto the Bible, even at the cost of their lives, is a testament to the power of God’s Word and the unbreakable spirit of His people.

“Our brave brothers and sisters, fellow believers in North Korea, are preaching the gospel,” Illyong said. “Even this moment. They are multiplying disciples. They worship on the mountains, hills, and underground.”

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