clipped from www.persecution.com
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| Geography: | ||||||||
This country covers 47,399 square miles and is about the size of New York State. It is located on the Korean Peninsula, between South Korea and China. The mostly mountainous terrain has encouraged the population to be concentrated on the coastal plains in the east. Only 16% of the country are considered cultivable, but many are employed in agriculture. The climate is mild, with temperatures ranging from 20 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Coal, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, tungsten and zinc are among the vast mineral deposits. Chief crops are corn, potatoes, soybeans, and rice. The capital city of Pyongyang has over two million people. Total population is recorded as 24 million people but a November 1997 report states that famine, malnutrition, starvation, and defections have dropped the count to 20 million.
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| Government: | ||||||||
After World War II, Korea was partitioned and a Communist regime installed in the North. It is considered one of the most repressive and isolated Communist regimes in the world today. This Marxist government attempts to control all activity, desire and thought of its citizens by early indoctrination deifying their former leader, Kim Il-Sung, and his son, who is the current leader, Kim Jong-Il. Any criticism of the Kim family or government policy has resulted in prison confinement.
Decades of Communism and the floods of August 1995 left 500,000 homeless and destroyed 1.5 million tons of grain, which added to the chronic food shortages already existing. The increased threat of starvation generates the potential for a riot or catastrophe.
North Korea marked the 49th anniversary of the founding of the Stalinist State with a new dynastic calendar based on the birth year of its founder, Kim Il-Sung. Juche, or self-reliance, is the North's State ideology and the new calendar, in the style of ancient Korean kingdoms, counts the first year of the Juche era as 1912 when Kim Il-Sung was born.
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| Religion: | ||||||||
In 1930 the capital city of Pyongyang was considered the Christian capital of Asia. During the Korean War thousands of Christians were martyred or fled the country. Today less than 1% of the population are Christian. The majority of North Koreans are atheist. Some practice Buddhism, animism or Confucianism.
There are three government built and operated churches in Pyongyang. These appear to be propaganda or "show" churches. But the church is not made of buildings. Though, little is known about the true or underground church our contacts report there are 60,000 to 100,000 Christians worshipping secretly in North Korea.
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| Persecution: | ||||||||
All religions are severely repressed and many are persecuted for attempting to worship in any fashion other than the governmental cult of Great Leader Kim. Christianity is perceived to be a dangerous threat with the potential to undermine the Kim family's deity.
Kim Il-Sung's mother was a Christian, however, he felt there was no place for such superstition in his regime. To fill the spiritual void Kim created the Juche philosophy. This ideology believes that man is the master of his own destiny and Koreans must look to themselves to create paradise on earth.
Kim Jong-Il and his father, the late Kim Il-Sung, are responsible for the murder or imprisonment of all known Christian leaders in North Korea's communist history.
North Korean police work together with Chinese police to catch defectors who have made it safely to China. They are forcibly taken back to North Korea. Many defectors carry rat poison to commit suicide in the event they are caught. These defectors used to be choked with rope but now are burned in public executions. Severe penalties are also given to the family of the defector.
Widespread famine in North Koran has caused over two million deaths. Reports of cannibalism, of emaciated babies, and of people foraging for grass and bark continue to reach the outside world. All dogs, cats and even rats have been eaten in an attempt to survive. Thankfully, because of the flooding and famine that have swept this nation, North Korea's isolationist government has been forced to open its borders to humanitarian aid from foreign countries. VOM has just shipped another container of food and clothing which includes tons of special packages with vitamins donated by Feed My Starving Children from Minnesota. Through our contacts we believe that this vital aid will reach men, women, and children at the village level and not stay in the capital for the military.
Orange vinyl bags, which have been printed with Korean Bible verses, are filled like balloons with helium and launched by night from areas so they will land in North Korea. The Voice of the Martyrs has launched hundreds of thousands of these scripture balloons since the first launch over 20 years ago. So not only food for the body but also food for the spirit is delivered to North Korea.
Radios in this government-controlled nation are adapted to receive only the government stations. Advice on how to alter these radios is smuggled in so that Koreans may hear the gospel. VOM helps to finance radio broadcasts of scripture.
Soon Ok Yi was imprisoned in a prison camp in Pyong An Nam-do province from 1987-1992, and though not a Christian at the time, she witnessed the execution and persecution of many Christians. Christians were often assigned to do the most difficult tasks in the camp such as clean up human excrement and work in front of an extremely hot furnace used for casting iron. One day she witnessed eight Christian prisoners being killed with molten iron poured on them from a furnace, yet the Christians were quiet and peaceful as they died. | ||||||||
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