October 2016 Persecution Magazine by International Christian Concern

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OCTOBER 2016

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Peering Into

North Korea Hell Exposed: ICC Unpacks the Secrets of the Hermit Kingdom.

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Table of Contents

In This Issue: FEATURE

14 | North Korea: Modern Dystopia

North Koreans are raised from birth being watched and surrounded by an oppressive regime bent on complete control. FEATURE

18 | North Korea’s Fiery Furnace

As the world’s worst police state, North Korea crushes dissent and free expression by creating a web of control built with three threads: songbun, the police state, and gulags. INTERVIEW

22 | Surviving Hell: The Lives and Culture of DPRK Defectors Escaping an oppressive regime is only the first step of a long process for DPRK defectors.

FEATURE

26 | Escape from Hell

North Korean defectors provide a glimpse into life inside North Korea and what it takes to survive the country’s horrific prison camps. INFOGRAPHIC

30 | Open the Prison Doors

Actions are being taken to create change in North Korea and you can get involved. Regular Features

3 Letter from the President A few words from ICC’s president, Jeff King, on cracks that are beginning to appear in the seemingly impenetrable stronghold of North Korea. 4 World News A snapshot of the persecution that impacts our brothers and sisters daily, in every corner of the world. 8 Your Dollars at Work Learn how your gifts are providing comfort, relief, Bibles, education and vocational training to the persecuted. 12 Impact Report See this quarter’s statistics of how ICC’s funds are helping the persecuted across the globe. 2

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27 OCTOBER 2016

President’s Letter

“In North Korea, there’s one story (and) it’s written by the Kim regime and 23 million people are conscripted to be secondary characters.” Adam Jones, author, The Orphan Master’s Son “Dictators ride to and fro upon tigers which they dare not dismount.” Winston Churchill “Romania was twenty million people living inside the imagination of a madman” (reference to the communist regime of Ceaușescu). Jon Ronson For weeks, I have been interviewing defectors from North Korea as well as NGO leaders and experts to understand this ultimately bizarre country. The defectors’ testimonies and incredibly painful stories reveal appalling and systematic state discrimination, dehumanization, and persecution on a satanic level.

Jeff King, President International Christian Concern

For those subject to Kim Jong-Un’s web of state control, life is a nightmare existence lived out in a grey apparatchik fog of meaninglessness. To bring some excitement to the mind-numbingly banal and futile lives of his slaves and serfs, the dictator keeps all those around him dancing on the edge of a knife. One wrong move and you are consumed by the machine he and his forefathers have built. The Kims are typically called madmen but that doesn’t really capture them. Their creation, the North Korean state, was designed, above all else, to feed and protect them. They have knowingly set themselves up as gods not because they are mad but because this system of idolatry furthers their interests, control, and safety. Their grand creation reveals them not to be crazy but rather to be extreme narcissists. Strangely, the communist countries that impoverish, starve, and devour their subjects have always held my gaze. My heart breaks for their prisoners; the ones behind bars as well as those that walk “free.” The believers in these states always suffer the worst because they not only offer an alternative belief system but also reveal the original masterpiece that the state has cheaply counterfeited. These Marxist states are responsible for incalculable suffering. Kim Il Sung, Stalin, Mao, Ceausescu, Pol Pot, and Lenin are responsible for the deaths of well over 100 million people between them. In Jeremiah 23:29, the Lord describes His Word as a fire and hammer that breaks rock, a sentiment echoed in 2 Corinthians 10:4 where our spiritual weapons are described as mighty and capable of pulling down strongholds, and as I’ve studied North Korea I feel that it’s a rock and stronghold whose time to crumble has come. Many cracks have already begun appearing in North Korea’s stony façade as high level defectors are leaving as never before. Also, external information, including the Gospel, is flooding in. I know these cracks are evidence that God has heard the prayers and pleas of 25 million people and ‘Aslan’ is on the move. In 1907, Pyongyang experienced one of history’s greatest revivals and was dubbed the ‘Jerusalem of the East’ as a result. Satan has worked to extinguish this flame and it nearly succeeded. Yet, a small flame still flickers within North Korea and may just soon turn into a consuming fire which burns down the gates of this great prison. If God has heard the cries of North Korea and is on the move, then I wouldn’t miss being part of it for anything. Seldom do we have the ability to work on something so historic, so just, and so good. God will have his bride and I invite you to be part of the magnificent effort to free her. Please work with me to bring this vision to life for the imprisoned of North Korea. As always, your donations will be used efficiently, effectively, and ethically. I promise!

Jeff King President International Christian Concern www.persecution.org

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News 2 1 3

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Kidnapped Christian Faces Forced Marriage and Conversion 1 | PAKISTAN A Christian woman in Pakistan named Sobia Nadeem was recently abducted by a group of Muslim men in Lahore. Nadeem was a Master’s student studying physics. After being kidnapped, Nadeem was forcibly converted to Islam and married off to one of her abductors. Thankfully, Nadeem was able to escape one day when she found an unlocked door in the house where she was held captive. However, even upon her return home, she was forced to jump through numerous hoops before she regained her freedom. Her family had to testify and prove that their daughter was married against her will during her time in captivity. Since the conclusion of the court case, Nadeem’s family members, including her mother and brothers, have received threats because of the verdict. While the return of Sobia Nadeem is certainly a cause of celebration, unfortunately many other Christian women in Pakistan do not have the same happy ending. Due to the fact that women are already a vulnerable population in Pakistan, those who are religious minorities, including Christians, are particularly easy targets. Unfortunately, many families are so paralyzed by the fear of retaliation that they never speak up or file a police report when this happens. While some women are sold off into sexual slavery upon their abduction, others are forced to marry their captors and never return home to see their families again.

Three Foreign Pastors Arrested Without Charge in Iran 2 | IRAN On June 24, three pastors hailing from Azerbaijan were arrested in Tehran, Iran during a visit to the country. No information was given as to the reason for their arrest. As a result of tense foreign relations with Iran, it has been difficult for the pastors to obtain legal support, but efforts are currently underway. Initially, there was no communication about the pastors; however, the families have been able to speak with the Iranian embassy located in Azerbaijan. This latest incident is just one of many in a string of arrests of Christian leaders in Iran. Charges are wide ranging and have included everything from evangelism to apostasy.

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“Christian persecution is quite prevalent in Sudan and, most recently, the method of persecution has been through the arbitrary arrest of Christian leaders.”

Authorities Jail Christians Defending School on Church Property 3 | SUDAN On July 7, Sudanese authorities arrested and detained 14 Christians as they attempted to protect a Christian school, Evangelical School of Khartoum North, located on the property of Khartoum Bahri Evangelical Church. According to reports, Sudanese authorities are trying to seize the property in order to offer it to a local Muslim business. Reports indicate that the police officers spouted insults at the Christians. Although the Christians were released three days after their arrest, they were each required to pay a fine. Christian persecution is quite prevalent in Sudan and, most recently, the method of persecution has been through the arbitrary arrest of Christian leaders. Often, these Christians are detained on falsified charges, but it is clear that they are usually being targeted because of their involvement in Christian ministry. Since the 2011 secession of South Sudan, Christians have felt increasing discrimination and violence, often from their own government. The wide range of human rights abuses has made Sudan a major concern among humanitarian groups and governing bodies, including the US State Department who designated Sudan as a Country of Particular Concern.

OCTOBER 2016

30 Seized by Authorities in China During Worship Service

More than 100 Pastors Jailed in Vietnam for Preaching

4 | CHINA On July 10, Chinese authorities seized 30 Christians during a worship service held in a house church in Guangdong Province. While storming the church service, authorities confiscated property belonging to the church and prohibited the members from meeting. The church members were taken by the police for interrogation regarding their activities as part of Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s continued crackdown on Christianity. Although most of the Christians were released later that day, four of them were detained for four days.

5 | VIETNAM Although the highlands of Vietnam used to be a safe haven for Christianity, the government is gradually tightening its grip. More than 100 pastors in Vietnam were recently arrested for refusing to register with an official, government-sponsored church. Many Christians in Vietnam have no other choice but to worship in house churches in order to avoid the tight restrictions imposed by the Vietnamese government. This is the only way that many Christians can receive the Gospel that they would otherwise miss out on in many state-controlled churches.

Women and Children Beaten During India Church Attack 6 | INDIA In eastern India, a mob of approximately 50 radicals stormed a church during their worship service. The attackers began to beat members of the congregation with rods, including both the women and children who were present. According to reports, police did not offer assistance during the attack. Furthermore, many of the Christians were driven out of the village in fear after the attackers threatened them with more violence. Within the past two years, religious freedom has been on a path of steady decline in India. Church attacks continue to rise in India as perpetrators rarely receive an adequate punishment, if any at all, for their actions. It is imperative that Prime Minister Narendra Modi (pictured) speaks out against incidents of this nature in order to effect change for religious minorities in India.

Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India

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News 3

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Nigerian Pastor Hacked to Death

1 | EGYPT On July 17, a mob of Muslim extremists killed a 27-year-old Christian man named Pham Khalaf in Egypt’s Minya province. During the attack, the mob also injured three other Coptic Christians. Thankfully, they were taken to a hospital in time to receive treatment and were brought to stable condition. The violence took place after rumors circulated around the village that a new Christian-owned building was being renovated into a church. A local Christian reported that Pham died due to a stab wound to the heart. One of the wounded suffered multiple stab wounds to the face. Within a matter of minutes, more than 100 Muslims joined in on the attack and began abusing the Coptic Christians. In response to the murder of Pham Khalaf, a group of local priests led a prayer service in his honor. During the service and the funeral, thousands of Christians gathered to honor their brother in Christ and sing songs of worship This was the third incident in a span of approximately two weeks in which Christians were attacked as a result of the mere suspicion of church construction. Similar

attacks also took place on June 30 and July 15 when homes were looted and destroyed on the grounds of such rumors. One of the most egregious aspects of these attacks is the lack of concern from authorities. During the July 17 attack, police did not arrive on the scene until two hours after the initial attack, despite the fact that they were called from the beginning. Unfortunately, this is not unusual in these types of incidents.

2 | NIGERIA On July 9, a Christian preacher was hacked to death in the outskirts of Nigeria’s capital city of Abuja. The preacher, Eunice Elisha, was a mother of seven, and shared her faith with her husband who was also a minister from the Redeemed Church of God. Two of Elisha’s children heard reports that a woman had been killed while they were playing football, but it was not yet confirmed that it was their mother. Families members went to the police station where the body was taken, and they were able to confirm the devastating news. In an interview with Elisha’s husband, he said that he views his wife as a martyr and that those responsible for her murder should be forgiven. Although the investigation is still ongoing, six people have been arrested in connection to the attack. Numerous organizations, including the Christian Association of Nigeria, have spoken out against the attack, condemning both the violence and the government’s “lukewarm attitude” toward confronting the violence. Unfortunately, this attack is not the first of its kind and is simply the most recent in a string of violent attacks. Beatings, stabbings, arson and more have all been reported in the month of June 2016 alone. Greater action must be taken in order to prevent further violence against Christians in Nigeria.

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OCTOBER 2016

Muslim Mob Kills Young Christian and Wounds Three Others

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Muslim Doctor Receives Death Threats for Saving Christian 3 | PAKISTAN A Muslim doctor in Pakistan recently faced harassment and received death threats after saving the life of one of his Christian patients. No one else was treating the man and, unless he received immediate care through the use of a particular medicine donated by an Islamic group, he easily could have lost his life. However, the doctor later reported that he did not know that the man was a Christian, nor that he was forbidden from using those medications to treat the man. The backlash surrounding his actions has been so severe that the doctor and his wife have been forced to flee Pakistan to seek asylum in the United States, where they are currently residing.

Kenyan Pastor Killed Peacekeeping Seminar

after

Leading

Nepal to Prosecute Christians for Sharing Bibles

4 | KENYA On July 3, Pastor John Njaramba Kiruga was murdered by militants of the Islamic terror group al-Shabaab in Kenya. The pastor was travelling home after leading a peacekeeping seminar in northeastern Kenya when his bus was ambushed. The seminar was focused on bridging the gap between religious groups and striving toward peace between Christian and Muslims communities. Six people lost their lives in the ambush, including some children. The region of northeastern Kenya, along the Somali border is a notoriously dangerous region, swarming with Islamic radicals who frequently target Christians in an effort to claim the region as Islamic territory.

5 | NEPAL In early June, eight Christians, including one pastor, were arrested for distributing Bibles to students in Nepal. Although they have since been released, they now face the possibility of a court trial on charges of “proselytizing.” A concerning amendment to Nepal’s constitution, Article 26, forbids any and all attempts to convert someone of another religion. Due to the broad nature of this amendment, Christians and other religious minorities are strictly limited in their religious freedoms and don’t have the ability to distribute religious literature or even share their faith with a friend of another religion.

Church Attacked for Allegedly Worshipping on the “Wrong Day” 6 | NIGERIA On Friday, July 15, a mob of Muslim radicals attacked a Catholic church in northern Nigeria, damaging both the building itself and the property within it. According to reports, the attackers also violently beat two men associated with the church and chased away a group of women who were gathered in prayer in the church building. What was the reason for such an attack? The assailants claimed that the church members were gathered for church on the wrong day. Those who were at the church at the time were informed that Friday is reserved for Muslim worship and Christians should not overstep their bounds by worshipping outside of Sundays. Nigeria, led by President Muhammadu Buhari (pictured), is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a Christian due to the rampant Islamic extremism.

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Your Dollar$ at Work

Several parents of the #BringBackOurGirls show their appreciation for the agricultural assistance packages ICC provided.

Farming Assistance for Chibok Families

Community Rebuild

rief is a curious thing. While the rest of the world continues as normal, your own life experience seems to pause as you become consumed with the sadness that grips your heart, confused, unsure how youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re allowed to feel like youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re grasping in the dark. This has been the case for more than 200 parents from Chibok Local Government Area in Borno State, northeast Nigeria for the past year and a half. In April 2014, radical Islamist militants from the terror group Boko Haram raided a government school, carrying off 276 teenage schoolgirls into indefinite captivity and sexual

slavery. Since the tragic incident, fifty-plus young girls have escaped and one has been rescued; but hundreds of families still grieve today as if their wounds remain fresh, as they wonder if their daughters are alive, and they imagine what kinds of tortures they have faced in the hands of evil men. Now that the Chibok area is relatively more peaceful than in 2014, parents of the missing girls are returning to their farms, hopeful that restarting their lives may provide them with some much needed relief as their anguish drags on. ICC has stepped in with local partners in Nigeria to try to help these aggrieved parents recover something resembling what

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normal life was like before their daughters went missing. Just the hope of assistance motivated surviving parents from all over Chibok to plant corn seedlings, the staple food crop in northern Nigeria, praying that brothers and sisters would come alongside them to meet them in their distress. In August, ICC distributed agricultural assistance packages to 215 families waiting to #BringBackOurGirls, including fertilizer, herbicides, and tools to help grow the corn and bean crops. In the midst of their ongoing grief, please pray that the Lord of the harvest would comfort these families and that many daughters would return. OCTOBER 2016

Aluminum Shop for Displaced Christian

Community Rebuild

hen ISIS attacked the city of Qeraqosh, countless Christian families were displaced from their homes. With little notice, these families were forced to abandon all of the familiarities of home, including the guarantee of a steady income. They had to leave behind the tools and property that were essential to earning a livelihood. To help these families support themselves, ICC has donated the tools that are necessary for them to start up their own small businesses. Malik (name changed for security) used to work at an aluminum shop prior to his displacement. While he still has the skills needed to operate such a business, the cost of renting the tools that he left behind would eliminate any profit that he could have made. ICC has since provided Malik with new tools necessary to run his own aluminum shop.

Serving Impoverished Children in Egypt

Kids Care

n Upper Egypt, children from impoverished Christian families living in the slums often fall through the cracks of society. ICC has partnered with a local ministry to support these children in order to offer them opportunities that would not be available to them otherwise. ICC sponsors numerous children through a program that provides them with an education, school supplies, a daily meal, clothes and shoes, routine medical care, and training seminars for their parents. Perhaps most significantly, this sponsorship program also requires that the students attend a Christian program held at the local church and meet on a weekly basis with staff members for Bible study. By also meeting spiritual needs, ICC is investing in the lives of these children in a manner that goes far beyond the simple physical necessities of life.

Medical Assistance to Persecuted Student

Kids Care

ajra (name changed for security) is the only Christian girl in her class of 40 students in Pakistan. She often faces harassment for her faith from other students, but tries to avoid their hateful comments as much as possible. One day, in March of 2016, her Muslim teacher began accusing her of a mistake in the schoolwork which she repeatedly denied. The teacher then proceeded to beat her on the hand with a cricket bat which led to a fracture in her left hand. Although her father submitted a formal complaint to the local authorities, no legal action has been taken thus far against the teacher. Due to the familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s difficult financial situation, ICC provided them with a food package in addition to covering the cost of Hajraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s medical expenses.

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Your Dollar$ at Work

Bakery Tools for Displaced Family

Community Rebuild

aniel (name changed for security) has spent 20 years of his life working as a baker in Iraq. When ISIS overtook his town, he and his four children were forced to flee, leaving behind all of their belongings, including his baking tools – appliances, utensils, etc. – necessary to support his family. With the help of many generous donors, ICC was able to provide Daniel with the tools that are vital for him to successfully run his own bakery. He will be operating this new business out of his home and selling baked goods to the members of his neighborhood. Not only does this help provide income for this displaced family, it also provides him with the dignity that he is supporting his family with his own skills and products instead of being forced to rely on the aid of others.

Transportation Business in Egypt

Hand of Hope

ne of the underlying sources of persecution in Egypt is societal discrimination. Many Christians find it difficult to provide for their families because of job discrimination on account of their faith. Many are forced into either menial hard labor or travelling out of the country to search for work elsewhere, which is even more dangerous. ICC has stepped in to help support such families by providing them with a small business in the form of a “tuk-tuk.” This is essentially a large tricycle that is used in a similar fashion as a taxi. The first recipient was formerly unable to support himself because health issues prevented him from getting a job doing manual labor, which is often the only option for religious minorities. This micro-finance project will allow Christian families to support themselves without compromising their safety.

Sharing the Gospel in China

Bible

hristian persecution in China has reached a level of direct targeting that has not been seen for many years. Cross and church demolitions have ensued since the implementation of the “Three Rectifications, One Demolition” campaign; more than 2,000 crosses have been destroyed since 2013. Countless Christian human rights lawyers, pastors, church leaders, and general believers have been imprisoned for merely conducting services inside their church. Yet, all is not lost. Despite some of the worst incidents of persecution since the Cultural Revolution, Christianity continues to grow in the East Asian dragon. According to recent reports, China will have the largest Christian population in the world by 2030. ICC is grateful to play a small part in this growth through the distribution of Gospel DVDs. Projects like the DVD distribution through ICC’s Bible fund are but one small seed planted among the Chinese people that continues to grow into a field of new believers on fire for Christ.

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OCTOBER 2016

Your Dollar$ at Work

Supporting Underground Pastors in Central Asia

Underground Pastors

he Central Asia region consists of former Soviet satellite states with two differing cultures constantly clashing and leaving Christian minorities caught in the middle. As Islam and secularism clash for dominance among the varying governments, Christian minorities must walk the fine line of maintaining good standing with their leaders while not agitating the more radical followers of Islam. In some countries, like Azerbaijan, the population is 96 percent Muslim with a very small percentage of Christians. As its northern neighbor, Russia, has implemented a new anti-religion law, Central Asia is once again a topic of focus. Opportunities for outreach and evangelism are numerous. Yet the fear of government repression and physical violence from anti-Christian groups is a daily reminder of the struggle believers face. Given these important factors, ICC is supporting five underground pastors in different regions in Central Asia to further the work of the Gospel. These men and women have been outstanding and passionate leaders in their respective nations, following the Great Commission through church planting and evangelism. As the region becomes more volatile, we must continue to pray for the region, but specifically for our brothers and sisters who have taken it upon themselves to spread the Gospel at the expense of their own freedom.

Caring for Orphans in India

Kids Care

n 2008, anti-Christian violence swept through the Christian community of Kandhamal in India’s Orissa state. The devastation was overwhelming and countless Christians were left without a place to call home. Many of the affected families unfortunately lost loved ones as well. Arguably, the victims who were the most vulnerable were the children who lost their families in the riots. Without loved ones to care and provide for them, these children would undoubtedly end up living on the streets, scrounging for their next meal. ICC recognized this gaping need and stepped in to help the helpless by establishing an orphanage to give these children a new place to call home. At this children’s home, boys and girls are receiving the food, shelter, and education that they need to become successful members of society. Most importantly, they are being raised in a Christian home where they are receiving the message of the Gospel. With the support of ICC’s donors, these children have been given a second chance at a life that otherwise would have seemed impossible. By the grace of God, they will take what they have learned in this home and become tomorrow’s Christian leaders in their community.

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Impact Report

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WHERE MOST NEEDED

SUFFERING WIVES and CHILDREN

COMMUNITY REBUILD

FUND BALANCE:

medium

high

low

medium

high

low

medium

high

2016 Q2

PROJECTS

On July 7-9, ICC launched The Bridge. The Bridge is the conference where ICC brings together the free and persecuted Church along with leaders from Congress, government and other NGOs to learn from each other about how to connect and fight for the persecuted Church. Eric Metaxas, General Jerry Boykin, Brother Rashid, and others inspired, moved, and broke the hearts of attendees. We focused on Iraq and Syria as the Church in the Middle East is in crisis. To find out more, go to www.thepersecutionconference.org to see the amazing line-up of speakers and to find out about The Bridge 2017. ICC has recently been advocating for House Resolution 290, calling for the global repeal of blasphemy laws. After launching a petition and advocacy tour, ICC volunteers visited more than 400 Congressional offices in support of the resolution. The resolution is now sponsored by 30 members and has been passed by the House Foreign Affairs committee and is waiting on a full House vote. ICC travelled to Nigeria in June to meet with victims, implement projects, and verify and document projects. One of the best parts of these trips is the encouragement that comes from seeing donors’ gifts turned into life-changing relief for severely persecuted victims of Boko Haram.

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Boko Haram has ravaged parts of Nigeria, targeting Christian communities in particular. While the physical trauma is significant, the emotional scars that remain often run far deeper. During a trip to Nigeria over the summer, ICC hosted a trauma counseling seminar for nearly 200 youth who have been directly impacted by violence at the hands of Boko Haram. The students shared testimonies, learned coping methods, and most importantly learned about the love of God in the midst of suffering. Many Egyptian Christian men travel to Libya in search of work in order to provide for their families. Unfortunately, two brothers who were travelling together were kidnapped and executed along the way by Islamic radicals in 2015. Their families, struggling under the weight of grief, were also left without a means of income. ICC was able to step in to provide these families with goats that they can use to operate a small business by selling either meat or milk to support themselves. In April 2015, al-Shabaab carried out a brutal attack on Kenya’s Garissa University, specifically targeting Christian students. One particular woman sustained gunshot wounds to the leg after professing her faith and had to travel to Nairobi to receive the proper treatment for her injuries. The government compensated the family for her medical expenses and ICC assisted by reimbursing her and her family for the transportation costs that were needed to travel to the hospital. PERSECU ION.org

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Due to the terror inflicted by ISIS across the Middle East, thousands upon thousands of Christians have been displaced from their homes with no means to support themselves. In an effort to provide some of these families with a steady income, ICC helped start up numerous small businesses for displaced Christians in Iraq. A few examples of these businesses include mechanic shops and cell phone businesses. While it is important to serve as the first responders to persecution in times of crisis, it is equally important to equip others with the tools to prepare them for persecution to come. In India, ICC implemented a program called the “Persecution Preparedness Training,” during which pastors and other Christian leaders learned the basics of their legal religious freedoms and how to respond with the law in case of persecution. This past Easter, a suicide bomber killed at least 70 people at a park and wounded more than 300 others, deliberately targeting Christians celebrating the holiday. ICC called on its supporters who generously donated over $26,000 to assist the victims and their families. In the immediate aftermath, ICC used these funds to help with the transportation costs of those travelling to and from the hospital. In the long term, the funds will be used to provide educational support and initiate small businesses for the victims’ families who lost their main breadwinner. OCTOBER 2016

Impact Report

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KIDS CARE

UNDERGROUND PASTORS

BIBLES

FUND BALANCE:

medium

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high

medium

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medium

2016 Q2

PROJECTS

In September 2013, suicide bombers attacked All Saints Church in Peshawar, Pakistan, killing more than 100 people and wounding many more. Among many of the victims were parents of young children, leaving the children orphaned with an uncertain future. Ever since, ICC has been working with partners to provide these children with tuition fees and the school supplies that they need in order to receive a proper education. Last year, a Christian man named Meshack was murdered in Kenya when his bus was ambushed by al-Shabaab militants. Due to the fact that he was the family’s main breadwinner, his loved ones were left struggling financially, on top of the unbearable weight of grief. ICC teamed up with the local community to cover the cost of a year’s worth of schooling for all three of his children. In the slums of Upper Egypt, many Christian children do not have the opportunity to attend school, often because of the poverty they are living in. For years, ICC has been working with a local ministry to provide these children with an education and other basic necessities. Arguably the most important aspect of this ministry is that the assisted families meet with a local staff member for a time of discipleship.

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In the primarily Muslim nation of Iran, pastors, and all Christians for that matter, must be very cautious of their surroundings when sharing the Gospel with others. The threat of imprisonment or violence is quite real; therefore, many pastors are forced to operate their churches in secrecy. In order to help these pastors effectively shepherd their flock without the burden of finances, ICC provides financial support to a number of underground pastors in Iran. There are more than 100 unreached people groups in Indonesia. In order to effectively reach those who do not yet know Christ, ICC provides support to church planters in this predominantly Muslim nation. This regular support allows the church planters to focus more of their attention on their ministry without having to worry as much about everyday expenses. In February 2016, a pastor and his wife were violently assaulted by a group of Hindu radicals in India. The pastor’s health was in critical condition due to a severe head injury that he received during the attack. ICC was able to cover the medical costs that the family incurred during this incident as a way to ease their financial burden and support their continued ministry.

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In the country of China, the desire for the Word of God is strong, especially among rural Christians who don’t have access to a Bible of their own. ICC partners with a local ministry to help distribute the Gospel through Bibles and DVDs. In the second quarter of 2016, ICC helped to distribute more than 9,000 Bibles to Christian communities throughout China as well as numerous DVD sets. During an attack on a group of Christians distributing religious literature in India, a mob of Hindu radicals destroyed all of the group’s Bibles. Through the Bible Fund, ICC was able to replace all of the Bibles that were destroyed in the attack. This project both encouraged the Christians following the violent incident and also gave the resources necessary for them to continue in their ministry. Among the Christian community of Laos, one of the greatest needs is the written Word of God. Many Christians do not have access to a Bible of their own and those who do are often too poor to purchase their own copy. Over the years, ICC has helped facilitate the distribution of approximately 3,000 Bibles among the Lao people who would otherwise still be searching for a copy of their own.

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NORTH KOREA: MODERN DYSTOPIA North Koreans are raised from birth being watched and surrounded by an oppressive regime bent on complete control.

By Sandra Elliot

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OCTOBER 2016

Ceremony during the Arirang Mass Games Creative Commons photo from flickr

eople love dystopian novels and each decade, another one dances across the cultural stage. The genre has produced some captivating reads such as Brave New World, 1984, Fahrenheit 451, as well as the recent entrants, The Hunger Games and Divergent. We love reading about scary dictators and oppressive societies. We love to see the hero triumph and evil systems crumble after hundreds of pages of impossibilities. There is just something about the injustice and defeat of it that is so appealing to the human spirit. But, as much as we immerse ourselves into these stories, we can always put down our book or pause our DVR and return to our comfortable freedoms and secure homes. Humans love these stories as stories only. The reality of living in them is unbearable and unfortunately all too real for a particular 25 million people, the citizens of The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), otherwise known as North Korea. North Korea has been the poster boy of the rogue state for approximately 70 years now. We know it as the instigator of the Korean War, responsible for two million plus deaths, its cyberattacks on Sony and its never-ending barrage of missiles, military flexing, and massive human rights abuses. It is the perennial bad boy of the State Department’s religious freedom report and has repeatedly been designated as a Country of Particular Concern by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). But there is so much we don’t know because we can’t see what goes on inside this prison state. North Korea, as we know it today, arose after the partition of Korea following WWII and the creation of the Communistaligned DPRK headed by leader, Kim Il Sung, a former guerilla fighter. Ironically enough, Kim Il Sung, the grandfather of modern day North Korea, grew up in a Christian home. His grandfather was a pastor and young Sung attended church on a weekly basis. While he eventually rejected the Christian faith, the future totalitarian dictator did keep the apparatus of worship intact in his life, though he applied it to himself as the savior of Korea. In some twisted way, Christianity as a concept played a part in the authoritarian setup of North Korea.

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Totalitarian Regime and Cult of Personality North Korea is a totalitarian regime, meaning that the political authority exercises absolute and centralized control over all aspects of society. This is a not a government for the people or by the people. In fact, the people are completely subordinate to the regime and autonomous thought, action, and religious belief are all threats to its existence. Article 68 in the North Korean constitution permits the freedom of religion so long as “religion [is not] used as a pretext for drawing in foreign forces or for harming the state of social order.” Religion poses a threat to the state of North Korea, because in North Korea, government theology is believed to sustain all aspects of life and order. The Kim family is the supreme authority and provider of all necessities, including spiritual serenity. The Kim family, in political terminology, is known as a ‘cult of personality.’ Each Kim ruler is a godfigure to society and all media and propaganda resources are utilized to legitimize this claim. Christianity, as you can see, poses a great threat to this ruling family. People of any faith in North Korea suffer arrests, torture, imprisonment and execution for their respective beliefs, but the cruelest of these are reserved for the Christian population, which is numbered at around 200,000 to 400,000, but these numbers are an educated guess at best. Persecution comes to those who propagate religion, possess religious items, carry out religious activities, or have any contact with religious persons. Citizens of North Korea are expected to adhere to ‘Juche’ or self-reliance, which is the ideological underpinning of the Kim government. It’s a form of civil religion which accepts and regards the Kim family as the supreme authority. There are approximately 100,000 Juche research centers in North Korea meant to indoctrinate the population into venerating the Kim family. Those who do not, or are even believed to dissent, face severe punishment.

Control North Korea uses its massive intelligence apparatus to arbitrarily enforce its power through the pervasive and intrusive surveillance of its citizens (see page 20). Security agencies are known to compete with one another in finding out ‘dissenters.’ Once arrested, political prisoners often face years in the notorious North Korean labor camps, also known as ‘gulags.’ There are believed to be tens of thousands

of Christians serving sentences in labor and execution camps. Life within these gulags bears a striking resemblance to Adolf Hitler’s concentration camps during the Holocaust. Prisoners live in hellish conditions, dying of starvation, harsh labor, and torture. Reports from escapees tell gruesome tales. For example, according to the drawings of one defector, women are prohibited from being pregnant. If a woman is found to be with child, the fetus is cut from her body before she is executed. Such fates are not uncommon for North Koreans, especially those tiered in the bottom half of society (read more on page 26).

Songbun Another way in which the DPRK extends total control over society is through a system of ascribed status rankings given at birth to each North Korean. ‘Songbun’ at its core is based on loyalty to the ruling regime. Think of the old caste system which plagued India for centuries. There are three classes within songbun; the highest is the ‘core’ class, known as the loyal class. The second is the ‘wavering’ class and the lowest is the ‘hostile’ class, to which Christians are almost always relegated. Songbun is a systemic form of discrimination that determines your standing in society – from how trustworthy you are considered to how much food you receive throughout the course of your life. It means that your personal faith may cause the starvation of your grandchildren for the sole reason that they carry your same genes. If you have ever read Ayn Rand’s ‘Anthem’ you will recall the assignment ceremony, where citizens are assigned their life duty without any regard to their skills or preference. Rand’s dystopian take on communism

“Security agencies are known to compete with one another in finding out ‘dissenters.’ Once arrested, political prisoners face years in the notorious North Korean labor camps.” PERSECU ION.org

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has a very real face in North Korea. All these methods in which North Korea controls the social makeup of its people leave Christians in a particularly dangerous position. Christians often practice their faith in complete secrecy, even from their families. NonChristians can face persecution and severe consequences simply by having a Christian relative. Secret police are integrated into society and daily life—constantly spying to root out dissidents, namely Christians. Neighbors and friends spy on each other, ruining the most intimate of trusts and creating a culture of paranoia. Christians live an isolated life to a degree which we will never understand in the US.

Defectors What we know of North Korea largely comes from the testimonies of its defectors OCTOBER 2016

A propaganda painting of Kim Il-sung, the founder and supreme leader of North Korea.

and escapees (see page 23). Fifteen years ago, there were just a few stragglers coming out of North Korea, but this trickle has turned into a flood of defectors. Some make it to South Korea; this is not as easy as it sounds but if they arrive, they are immediately granted citizenship. Others stay in China, where they risk deportation and exploitation by human traffickers. Life for runaways from North Korea is far from settled as they have to shake the paranoia and established culture of fear in which they were reared. In North Korea, thievery is not frowned upon as it is seen as one of the only ways to survive starvation in the lower hostile class ranking. Integration into a new society after escaping the horrors of North Korea is especially hard for those who have endured the traumas of prison and labor camps. What we know from these people is only the tip of

the iceberg regarding the truth behind the prison state.

The Hero of North Korea In our limited understanding of the dystopian reality of North Korea, there is one thing we know for certain: a hero is at work and will one day triumph. No it’s not an above average archer as in ‘The Hunger Games’ and it’s not a divergent teen. Rather, it’s the same Savior that died so that every person on earth may be free. Only Christ can ‘fix’ North Korea. No amount of diplomacy or war will cure the nation and its citizens, even its leaders. As ambassadors and followers of Christ, our contribution to the freedom of North Korea is first to pray for its citizens and for the downfall of its heinous regime. Prayers are not just a form of worship, but also the most powerful, earth-shattering words that

can possibly leave a Christian’s lips. Do you want to change North Korea? Do you want to help free the people bound in a nation that resembles a horror movie more than the actual world? Then drop to your knees and embrace the supernatural power that is prayer. As you read this month’s magazine and come face to face with the beastly truth that is North Korea, enter the throne room of God and plead with the Lord to break down impossible walls and bring salvation to the people of North Korea. Next, get involved in fighting the regime. Vote with your wallet for the downfall of North Korea by partnering with us to infiltrate this nation with the Gospel and rescue the broken victims that escape its prison walls. These methods work and as a result, many have made the journey from the ultimate prison state to a place of freedom in Christ, whether in or out of North Korea.

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North Korea’s Fiery Furnace As the world’s worst police state, North Korea crushes dissent and free expression by creating a web of control built with three threads: songbun, the police state, and gulags.

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OCTOBER 2016

The Grand Monument on Mansu Hill (Mansudae) Creative Commons photo from flickr.

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Feature Article

“Worshipping God...would make one a political criminal. Christianity is not allowed…” USCIRF Report on North Korea

By Michelle King

orth Korea’s (DPRK) hatred of Christianity has condemned hundreds of thousands of Christians to death and left remaining believers fearful and hiding in the shadows. The DPRK’s treatment of Christians is only one part of a system of state control that “is not comparable to any other nation in the world,” according to Todd Krainin’s book “I Escaped a North Korean Prison Camp.” As the world’s worst police state, North Korea crushes dissent and free expression by creating a web of control fashioned with three cords: songbun, the police state, and gulags.

Songbun Songbun is a unique social classification system that the North Korean regime uses to segment society into three levels of loyalty to the regime: core, wavering, and hostile, based on a citizen’s ancestral and personal loyalty to the state. Any perceived disloyalty automatically eliminates the opportunity to reach the highest songbun known as core. Despite his personal loyalty, one man describes in a 2014 Telegraph article how he received a ‘hostile’ songbun because his father “unintentionally soiled an image of Kim Jongil.” As a result, his family would face “decades of harsh official discrimination” since hostiles are the lowest class. Due to the fact that the state is constantly propagating the message that its leaders are demigods, it is especially hostile towards Christianity as it offers a competing religious system and also exposes the citizenry to the religious source that the state has counterfeited. Of the many defectors and experts we interviewed, we heard that the majority of Christians are probably killed outright when captured with the percentage possibly as high as 70%. Those not killed outright are thrown into the fiery furnace (the gulag) never to return. To achieve a middle or high standard of living, North Koreans must be classified as ‘core’

or ‘wavering.’ The state then determines what services and goods it provides to people based on their songbun. For example, employment opportunities, access to social welfare and food, housing, etc. are more plentiful for the core class, spotty for the wavering class, and virtually nonexistent for the hostile class. According to Jieun Baek, without government provisions, wavering and hostile class members only make $3-$5 per month “and must participate in criminalized market activity to survive.” Increased black market activity then increases the likelihood of arrest.

Police State The undergirding of songbun, is a massive state intelligence operation that constantly monitors all citizens according to David Hawk, an expert on human rights in North Korea. Hawk

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told ICC, “[The DPRK] was always watching what we were saying, watching what we were doing,” bemoaned several witnesses. Another defector ICC interviewed mentioned the phrase used by citizens to sum up living under the eyes of the police state: “The walls have ears and the fields have eyes.” Public safety police watch and respond to criminal behavior while the state security police monitor political behavior, similar to the Gestapo, according to Hawk. Citizens are “in constant fear and anxiety” of being arrested. What’s worse, the DPRK forces citizens to spy on each other and report suspicious behavior to police. Citizens must join in-min-ban neighborhood watch teams that regularly report their neighborhood’s political culture to state leaders, including details like spending patterns and the number of “chopsticks and spoons in every house” according to North Korea News. OCTOBER 2016

“The DPRK’s treatment of Christians is only one part of a system of state control that ‘is not comparable to any other nation in the world.’” Top Left A North

Korean official checks documents at the Sunan Airport. Creative Commons photo from flickr.

Bottom Left North

Korea propaganda surrounds citizens throughout their entire lives. Creative Commons photo from flickr.

Top Right Since 1993, military service is mandatory for all men for 10 years. Creative Commons photo from flickr. Bottom Right

Two men move a cart made from old car tires in Sariwon, North Korea. Creative Commons photo from flickr.

Thanks to the police state and in-min-ban, many Christians hide their faith from family and friends and avoid worship with any other Christians. Because Christians are terrified of arrest, and a USCIRF report states that most North Koreans “have never witnessed any religious activity.” According to one North Korean, “There are churches...(but they are) built only for foreigners to attend.”

Gulags “I was within hours of death; sick, malnourished and frozen from the deplorable conditions of the prison cell,” recalls former prisoner Hea Woo. “I didn’t think I would ever see the outside of the prison cell.” Woo and others who are arrested are sentenced to the gulags, massive labor camps loosely based on Stalin’s prison system, where

prisoners suffer horrific treatment. While the DPRK denies their existence, satellite images and former prisoners’ testimonies have lifted the veil over the camps to unveil a hellish world. North Korea operates four types of gulags. The kwan-li-so, similar to Nazi concentration camps, holds political prisoners without a “charge, let alone a trial, many of them for knowing someone who has fallen out of favor,” Amnesty International reports. The kyo-hwaso camp is a long-term prison for convicted felons who have committed criminal acts and gone through the judicial process. A jip-kyulso camp is a short-term, hard labor gulag with high death rates for misdemeanor political and criminal offenders. Finally, the ro-dong-ryondae gulag is a mobile labor brigade reserved primarily for repatriated North Koreans sent back from China. Torture and starvation define North Korean

gulags. Located in remote mountains with extremely tight security, escape is almost impossible. Prisoners live on the edge of starvation, yet the system demands that prisoners farm, manufacture, raise animals, and do heavy mining and lumber harvesting. In an Amnesty International report, a former guard named Mr. Lee described how women regularly “servic[ed]” prison officials and then “disappeared...because the secret could not get out.” Within the gulag, no one is protected from brutality. Not even children. A CNN article tells of a woman near starvation, who gave birth to her baby in prison despite the rules against pregnancy. A guard heard the baby’s cries and beat the mother. She begged the guard to let her keep the newborn, but he continued to beat her…and then he forced her to hold her new baby facedown underwater until it died. Eventually, prisoners become desensitized to death. In the same CNN article one prison camp survivor said, “Because we saw so many people die, we became so used to it. I’m sorry to say that we became so used to it that we didn’t feel anything.”

Tinsel Statue DPRK’s web of control would make Stalin, Hitler, and Mao envious. One defector and former prisoner of a DPRK gulag, in speaking with ICC’s president, was asked if he had read “The Gulag Archipelago” by Alexander Solzenitzyn (the seminal and horrifying history of the Soviet gulag system); he told him that he had, but that DPRK’s system was infinitely worse! The totally insular culture of DPRK, its people density, and the fact that all citizens share the same culture and language magnify the efficiency and effectiveness of the police state. The state uses the songbun system, the intelligence agencies, and the gulags, to spy on, arrest, torture, and strangle any threat to its ideology or supremacy. Much like Nebuchadnezzar and all false tyrannical systems that listen to and mimic the beast, the state demands that all its citizens, but especially Christians, must bow before its tinsel statue. Those that won’t are thrown into the fiery furnace. But unlike Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, precious few escape the state’s wrath.

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OCTOBER 2016

Surviving Hell: The Lives and Culture of

DPRK Defectors ICC interviewed numerous defectors including New York Times best selling author Hyeonseo Lee and those working with defectors to understand their lives after escaping hell. (Miss Lee’s full story will be covered in the Nov. edition of Persecution)

By Sarah Rha

ow does a person survive in a state where following the rules means you will most certainly die? What does it mean to a culture and the personalities of its citizens when every spoken word is listened to, analyzed, and tested for any speck of impurity in terms of allegiance to the ruling regime? How is your personality shaped when everyone around you and generations before you have seen their friends and loved ones tortured, imprisoned, and killed, for the slightest infraction or at the whim of the state’s security apparatus?

North Korea is an indiscriminate torturer and killer of its citizens, but is especially diligent in rooting out Christians. It is thought that there are approximately 30,000 imprisoned in concentration camps. Anyone possessing a Bible, practicing their faith or meeting for the purpose of worship risks being thrown into labor camps or even being killed. Everyone is forced to spy on everyone else (see “North Korea’s Fiery Furnace,” page 18). Everyone betrays their neighbors and friends. If you and your spouse divorce, he or she will reveal your deepest secrets and you will die or live out your days in prison. Children cannot be trusted with sensitive information for fear of them, being children, inadvertently incriminating their parents. As a result,

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Pastor Young Koo Kim with his wife and two North Korean refugees.

North Koreans have adopted a unique and warped culture of survival where lying and stealing are normal, gratitude is a foreign concept, and distrust is a valued virtue.

Stealing for Survival The Kim regime has historically kept its citizenry on the edge of starvation and used food as a tool of control and reward. Its socialist system has also destroyed the wealth and productive capacity of the country. North Korea survived for decades on handouts from the former Soviet Union, but after the collapse of the USSR, support was cut off and the country suffered mass starvation. While we don’t know the exact figure, it is estimated that up to three million people died during this time. As a result, North Koreans have normalized stealing to survive. Thievery in the hermit country isn’t seen as wrong; it was never seen as wrong. It’s a normal part of life and the key to survival as the government doesn’t give its citizens enough food on which to live. “The government only distributes a lim-

“North Koreans have normalized stealing to survive. Thievery in the hermit country isn’t seen as wrong; it was never seen as wrong. It’s a normal part of life and the key to survival.” ited amount of food but it’s not enough to survive. So what do they have to do? They have to steal in order to survive,” said Young Koo Kim, a pastor in California who runs a support ministry for North Korean refugees. Many refugees were once street children and school dropouts in their home country, forced to wander the streets for a chance to swipe a piece of food off of the ground. If they didn’t steal food or lie to protect themselves, they would have died. Stealing wasn’t a choice; it was a necessity, and their sole

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means of survival.

Internal Life Because of the fear and mistrust created by the State’s security apparatus that has murdered millions of its own citizens, one of the key characteristics of living in a police state is the shrinking of the personal circle of safety so that your real life exists only in your mind. Everyone is either paid or forced to spy on everyone. Therefore, distrust, massive cynicism, and personal isolation are among the most needed traits to survive. North Koreans tend to be very suspicious of others and ungrateful for the opportunities they receive after escaping. They typically can’t even say “thank you.” They live in a total “you versus me” mentality that comes from their twisted culture that has destroyed all sense of decency and comradery. This culture of ingratitude, suspicion, and callousness arises from a system where any careless word or misplaced trust can land a person in prison or worse. The system has literally destroyed millions of its own countrymen. Extreme distrust, cyniOCTOBER 2016

“North Koreans who successfully reach South Korea or the United States are traumatized and barely skilled, and yet they face the most formidable challenge of all: starting life over in a hyper-competitive foreign culture.” cism, and personal isolation are not character defects, but are among the most needed survival traits that keep North Koreans from being murdered.

The Struggle to Start Over Imagine growing up in a perpetual state of fear and hunger where one wrong move could land you in a labor camp. Lying and stealing are the norm as you struggle to survive. There is no one looking out for you and, in turn, you don’t look out for anyone else – it’s every man for himself. This is all you’ve ever known; you’re relegated to a life of hopelessness and despair. One day, you make the dangerous but hope-filled decision to escape. You know the risk and possibly deadly consequences. Crossing the border without permission is punishable by three to five years in a prison labor camp. Conspiring with missionaries or others to reach South Korea is considered treason. Offenders are starved, tortured, and sometimes publicly executed. Yet you still take the risk, and thankfully, escape successfully. You’re now in a new country where lying is wrong, stealing is a punishable offense, and strangers may even offer assistance without an ulterior motive. Imagine the cultural shock, the search for identity, the struggle to trust, and the adjustment to the “new normal” that must happen within yourself in order to survive this new place! North Koreans who successfully reach South Korea or the United States are traumatized and barely skilled, and yet they face the most formidable challenge of all: starting life over in a hyper-competitive foreign culture. North Koreans defectors start in China, but some move on to South Korea and an even smaller portion come to the US. North Korean defectors experience extreme culture shock in South Korea as they struggle for a sense of identity in their new home. Many South Koreans look down on the backward defectors, but can’t possibly fathom what it takes to survive in the

prison state. Nonetheless, the defectors are considered South Korean citizens by law and enrolled into a yearlong program when they arrive. Upon completing the program, they are provided grants for education, housing, and a few thousand dollars to start their lives anew. North Korean refugees do not receive nearly as much assistance when they come to the United States. The US government only provides approximately six months’ worth of support through charities and other organizations that only address the basics: finding a place to live, rudimentary healthcare and, on occasion, English lessons. After escaping the hell of DPRK, they suffer a great deal of trauma being thrust into a culture they cannot fathom and find themselves bewildered and adrift. Most escapees are uneducated with few skills to offer in the modern world. They must learn a new language, obtain a new job, and survive in a new culture without any family or support system. Anyone who has ever moved to a new country, or even a new city, can understand, at a drastically miniscule level, the barriers that must be overcome when transplanted into a new world. For North Koreans, the adjustment is massive and may never be permanently established. While they may learn to walk and talk like nationals, they will always be affected by the land from which they escaped.

What’s Next? The Lord repeatedly commands us in the Word to be mindful and care for the refugee and the foreigner; but apart from that, our heart breaks over these victims, especially when we think of them living their whole lives without a chance to find the Savior. They have been victimized like few others in the world. They have escaped Hell, but are left adrift in the modern world. We are working with groups that educate, train, and disciple these precious ones and we invite you to partner with us to redeem them (see page 30).

Scriptures on Refugees Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” - Ruth 2:10 The alien has not lodged outside, For I have opened my doors to the traveler. - Job 31:32 They also will answer, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?” He will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” - Matthew 25:44-45 Having a reputation for good works; and if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work. - 1 Timothy 5:10 Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers. - 3 John 1:5 The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God. - Leviticus 19:34 Now in case a countryman of yours becomes poor and his means with regard to you falter, then you are to sustain him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you. - Leviticus 25:35 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. - Hebrews 13:2

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Feature Article

ESCAPE FROM HELL North Korean defectors provide a glimpse into life inside North Korea and what it takes to survive the country’s horrific prison camps.

The defectors of North Korea have lived lives and faced challenges that Westerners find hard to fathom. We find them to be fascinating and felt the need to introduce them to our readers. In this month’s issue, we introduce you to defectors whose stories we pulled from the web, while in next month’s issue we will give you stories of defectors we personally interviewed.

By Ashley Shay

f you are a citizen of North Korea who has awakened to understand the reality of the prison state, as opposed to the regime narrative, you open your eyes each morning to the stench of the regime’s breath lingering over your whole being. It reeks of threat and death and always reminds you that a beast is stalking you. The beast is always there, observing every move and every word, lying in wait, and always ready to pounce and devour you for the smallest infraction. For the awakened, death can become a longed-for comfort, preferable to the mindnumbing emptiness and terror they face every day trapped in a system they cannot escape. Others though summon all their strength and courage and risk everything to break out of their cage and escape the beast to live as free people. They’ve escaped hell and cheated death and live to testify to the nightmare they endured in hopes that the light they can shine into the black hole that surrounds their homeland may somehow light the way for others to escape.

Kim Seon-I Penned in a German refugee camp, the memoirs of Kim Seon-I reveal one of the most detailed accounts of one woman’s struggle to survive and escape the great famine of the 1990s, her subsequent imprisonment and three-year sentence in the No. 9 labor camp in Hoeyang-Dong.

The Great Famine No one really knows how many died in North Korea’s great famine in the 1990s but the numbers are massive and range from 600,000 to 2.5 million. According to a 2014 report conducted by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Kim Jong-Il ensured that his regime obstructed the delivery of aid until 1997 and punished those who tried to earn, buy, steal or smuggle enough food to survive. Seon-I had just married and moved to the city of Tanchon when the famine began. In her memoirs, she describes traveling between cities, often on foot across mountainous terrain,

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to sell metal to feed her family. “Everywhere I went I was arrested, robbed and confronted by police raids,” Seon-I explained. “I did my damnedest to live one day after another – every morning realizing that death has yet to capture me and yet another desperate day waits before me.” Hearing word that some had managed to cross the river to China, work for a few months and eventually return with enough money to start their own businesses, Seon-I took the risk in early 2000 and followed a broker across the river. There, she said, she was constantly deceived by people who planned to rob her and sell her into slavery. After a year in China, Seon-I, desperate to leave, decided to attempt to take her father to his birthplace, South Korea, and made arrangements with another broker. A change of plans delayed their scheduled departure, and the border garrison arrested them when they crossed back into North Korea.

Prison Upon their incarceration in Musan, Seon-I and her father were placed in separate cells, OCTOBER 2016

Above: Sketches by former North Korean prisoners used to illustrate the deplorable conditions they endured.

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stripped of their belongings and subjected to daily, two-hour interrogations that began promptly at 6:00 each morning. During those two hours, guards forced the prisoners to line up against the wall in a seated position and remain absolutely still. When muscles, already starved from lack of nourishment, trembled or prisoners reacted in any way to the extreme pain, the warder would punish either the offender or the entire cell. “What was really difficult for me to bear was not my own hardship, but watching the suffering of my 70-year-old father being beaten by the warder because he moaned from agony,” Seon-I lamented. “My heart got torn apart listening to him shrieking with unbearable pain.” When Seon-I could bite her tongue no longer, she begged to be beaten in place of her father. The guard made her squat with her arms folded behind her back and banged her head against the prison wall 100 times. Unsatisfied with his prisoner’s head slick with blood, the guard proceeded to drag her to the toilet, where he forced her head into the water about 20 times before she finally passed out. After eight months of incarceration, Seon-I was found guilty of illegal border crossing and sentenced to three years in a labor camp. For most, it was a death sentence.

Labor Camp On June 16, 2002, Seon-I, now called Ga-No.92, entered a two-story, earthen-floored prison cell shared with 50-60 other women. Their heads were shaved and covered with a triangular-shaped white cloth, which Seon-I notes she now believes was copied from the style of Soviet gulags during World War II. “Inside the iron bars of the prison – living in hellish conditions – the most difficult part to endure was hunger,” Seon-I recalled, explaining that the hurled insults, physical abuse, onerous labor, psychological and mental suffering and even the agonizing pain from frostbite, which turned her skin black, rotten, oozing with sores, were all bearable compared to her constant, maddening and never-satisfied hunger. “Inside that hell, we had no names, no ages. Our resident registration numbers were erased and we were nothing but talking savages,” Seon-I went on. The gulag did not supply prisoners with bedding, so the women used rice sacks filled with ground cornhusks for covering and makeshift pillows. Light was a luxury. Meals of soup and chopped corn mixed with soybeans were delivered via a dog flap in the cell door. Even

A map from the United Nations details the spread of political and “ordinary” prison camps confirmed and reportedly operating in North Korea. the deathly ill were dragged into the fields to work and buried if they did not survive the day. Group baths were carried out once or twice a week, depending on the season, in a public river where prisoners had 5-10 minutes to bathe and wash clothes in view of cars and pedestrians passing along the road. “Our feelings of shame and humiliation had been long forgotten. We said to each other that from the moment we took our (first) step inside that cage, we were no longer humans but mere beasts, stripped of emotions and feelings,” Seon-I wrote. “As sinners, we were

unqualified to look up at the sky. If someone accidentally made eye contact with the jailer, he could not complain even if he got beaten to death on the spot.”

Surviving Hell While many tried to escape their fate using every tactic from intentionally injuring their bodies to contracting syphilis through sanitary towels for a chance at even a day in the outside world, most failed and increased their suffering. Those who tried to escape were captured and executed. Seon-I only escaped by surviving the length of her sentence. “How surprised was the security guard … when I told him I had fulfilled my term in the labor camp!” Seon-I recalled. “He told me I was a hero who had survived hell.” *Seon-I’s memoirs were prepared and translated by the European Alliance for Human Rights in North Korea. They can be read in full on their website, eahrnk.org.

“Light was a luxury. Meals...were delivered via a dog flap in the cell door. Even the deathly ill were dragged into the fields to work and Kim Kwang-Il buried if they did not Arrested in 2014, Kim Kwang-Il shared survive the day. “ many of Kim Seon-I’s sufferings during his PERSECU ION.org

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OCTOBER 2016

detention and nearly three-year imprisonment in a labor camp for smuggling pine nuts across the border. After his escape to South Korea, he contributed to a book detailing and illustrating his experiences and supplied the OHCHR with verbal testimony during their investigation. As part of that testimony, Kwang-Il told the commission of the cruel positions detention center guards forced him to hold long enough to fill a glass with his sweat. Failure resulted in additional beatings and continued torture. The pressure on their bodies caused many prisoners to vomit blood and collapse into unconsciousness; eight prisoners in KwangIl’s center died in the 11 days he was detained. Those who did not die of malnutrition and starvation from being forced to survive on less than 80 grams of food (such as boiled, rotten cucumber) were transferred to labor camps where many would die within six months. In the labor camps, 60-70 men had to sleep in a cell meant for less than 20. At times, Kwang-Il testified, there were up to 170 – forcing men to either sleep standing or lie sideways with their feet on top of other people’s heads. In the summer’s suffocating heat, the men would sleep naked, resulting in even greater risk to their health. “To put it literally, we lived in a hole of human defecation. If somebody got sick, it would spread throughout the cell immediately,” Kwang-Il said. “In North Korea, there’s a fever disease; if that breaks out in a cell, it would spread immediately and result in massive death.” Kwang-Il estimated that more than 100 people died in his immediate vicinity during his 2.5 years in the labor camp.

Kim Eun-Jin Human rights organizations estimate that as many as 30,000 of the 200,000 detainees in North Korea’s political prison camps are Christians. Though Kim Eun-Jin is not a former prisoner, she remembers vividly the day her father, the leader of an underground church, was arrested while she was at school. “He hugged me before I left for school, and, like every other day, reminded me to be careful,” Eun-Jin told CBN News. “Every morning at the breakfast table, he would tell us that one day the government will come and arrest us for being Christians. He warned us of the price we would someday pay for our faith. I remember him saying often, ‘Even if I face death, I will follow Jesus.’” Eun-Jin believes her father and her uncle, who was also arrested, did follow Jesus unto

“Human rights organizations estimate that as many as 30,000 of the 200,000 detainees in North Korea’s political prison camps are Christians.”

Kim Kwang-Il testifies before a UN Commission to the inhumane treatment he endured in a North Korean prison camp.

According to Kim Kwang-Il’s testimony, guards forced prisoners to fill a glass with their sweat or collapse from exhaustion.

Kim Eun-Jin fled North Korea in 2005; her father and uncle were imprisoned in labor camps for their faith in Jesus Christ.

death in one of the nation’s labor camps. That day before school was the last time Eun-Jin saw her father. She and the rest of her family escaped in 2005 with the aid of a Chinese pastor. “I grew up in a land where they said there was no God, but my father told me otherwise,” Eun-Jin acknowledged. “He loved Christ, and for that he died.” Thanks to her father, Eun-Jin grew up under different circumstances than most of her countrymen, learning that her home city of Pyongyang was once known as the “Jerusalem of the East” and gathering secretly every Saturday evening to whisper prayers and worship and to read a Bible that her grandmother had translated by hand from Japanese. Today, Eun-Jin has started a family of her own in South Korea and says she is praying for and readying her family for the day when the doors of her homeland open and she can return to spread the Gospel to North Korea.

The Tip of the Iceberg Kim Seon-I, Kim Kwang-Il and Kim EunJin are the rarest of breeds in that they escaped North Korea and lived to tell their stories. Though their testimonies are enlightening and will hopefully serve to break through the fog that envelops the prison state, we must understand that even the most detailed accounts reveal just the tip of the iceberg for so many of the nation’s citizens. For men and women like Kim Seon-I, writing or sharing their experiences can feel like reliving many of the horrors they were forced to endure. “Looking back at the three years of my life inside the prison, my heart aches so much with immense pain that I get choked up with emotion and my hand trembles to the point I cannot write any more,” Kim Seon-I explained. “If I could write every detail of what happened, how much time would it take? How much would it take to gouge out the grudge that has been rooted in my heart so deeply for so many years? … If there comes a day when I am able to bring out all my bitterness and write all the details of my story for those who want to know the truth – I yearn for the day.” Kim Seon-I was encouraged to share the details she could by other North Koreans who have escaped. They’ve learned that refusing to bury their memories can help heal their own wounds as well as inspire others. Please pray for continued strength and courage for those who have escaped and all who still remain.

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OPEN THE PR

North Korea is the worst place on earth to be a Christian. They have killed tens of thousands, if not 100,000+, over the years, but the good news is that there are many effective avenues to get the Gospel in and to fight the regime. Here are four different ways that you can help bring the Gospel to North Korea and chip away at the regime of Kim Jong Un.

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OCTOBER 2016

RISON DOORS

Gospel & liteRatuRe:

Radio:

Whether by balloon, by drone, or by sending materials in via the rivers, we have the ability to insert the Gospel, literature, and media into North Korea. Many defectors have reported how they were reached in these ways.

In North Korea, official radios only receive one state-approved station. Radio broadcasts bring the Gospel into North Korea. It’s a constant cat and mouse game with North Korea trying to jam the signal 24/7, but the Gospel goes in and brings those trapped in hell to life.

defectoR caRe

pRayeR:

It is well known in North Korea that if you escape into China, you should look for a building with a cross and they will help you. Work with us to provide defectors with the Gospel, discipleship, and job training.

In Jeremiah 23:29, the Lord says, “Is not my word like fire and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” Pray for the downfall of this wicked regime and the freedom of 25 million people. Pray for the Gospel to saturate this nation.

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These children of the North Hwanghae province represent the next generation in rural North Korea. In the present state, there is little hope that North Korea will see change or reform without a miracle; keep the next generation of North Koreans in prayer. Creative Commons photo from flickr.

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I N T E R N AT I O N A L

DAY OF PRAYER for the Persecuted

IDOP 2016 IS COMING!

November 6th (Some will observe Nov. 13th)

ICC’S IDOP 2016 KIT WHAT IS THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER (IDOP)? IDOP is a specific time for us to collectively remember our Christian brothers and sisters around the world who suffer persecution, simply for believing in Jesus Christ as Lord. ICC’s IDOP kit has been specifically tailored to meet the needs of pastors, spiritual leaders, and prayer warriors committed to praying for the persecuted Church. The kit includes persecution facts, frequently asked questions about persecution, Scripture about suffering for the name of Christ, practical steps on how the Church in the West can help, and ICC’s latest petition on the return and imprisonment of North Korean defectors.

Register today to receive ICC’s International Day of Prayer Resource Kit! Our kit includes tools and resources for your church and faith community: • • • • • • • •

Resource Guide Prayer Bulletin Insert Worship and Prayer Powerpoints Sermons Sunday School Lesson Social Media Tools Petition Video

REQUEST A SPEAKER Interested in having one of ICC’s experts on Christian persecution speak at your church? Contact us today through the web address below.

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Gifts f Persecuted or the

This Christmas season, remember our persecuted brothers and sisters. Watch for ICCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Christmas Catalog which highlights ways for you to join with us in serving around the world!

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You Can Help Today!

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SEND DONATIONS TO: ICC PO BOX 8056 SILVER SPRING, MD 20907 OR ONLINE AT WWW.PERSECUTION.ORG OR BY PHONE 800-ICC-5441

GIVING TO ICC VIA YOUR WILL Provide now for a future gift to ICC by including a bequest provision in your will or revocable trust. If you would like more information on giving to ICC in this way, please give us a call at 1-800-ICC-5441.

A North Korean girl is startled by the photographer. Keep the next generation of North Koreans in prayer. Creative Commons photo from flickr.

International Christian Concern (ICC) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) (all donations tax-deductible). ICC makes every effort to honor donor wishes in regards to gifts. Occasionally, situations arise where a project is no longer viable. ICC will then redirect those donated funds to the fund most similar to the donor’s original wishes. ICC uses 7.5 percent of each restricted donation to carry out the mission of its segregated funds. facebook.com/persecuted

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