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North Korea

  • Family Grateful for Provision of Medical Care

    A North Korean woman and her family have expressed their thankfulness for the medical care they are receiving through The Voice of the Martyrs' ministry in China. "Ji Young" recently told a pastor who works closely with VOM Korea that her husband has been ill but was unable to get treatment in China. "After leaving my hometown in North Korea, I never received help from anyone in China," she states. "Nobody cared for me or my family."

    However, she gratefully acknowledges the help that her family is receiving from VOM during this time of illness: "As we received support from the pastor, I realized that God never forgets nor leaves (us). He always cares and has mercy.... I do not know how I can express my heart to God, I was so touched by this experience. Thank you for your help and support. I will live as a child of God and keep my faith in Him." (For information on VOM Canada's ministry to North Koreans, click here)
  • Scripture Balloon Launch
    A North Korean reads
    a Scripture balloon.

    Please join us in praying that the Scripture balloons of an upcoming launch will successfully make their way into North Korea, so many of the country's men, women and youth will be given the opportunity to be reached by the God-inspired Word these hydrogen vessels contain. As the balloons gradually make their way along the journey, ask the Lord to prepare the soil of the recipients' hearts so they will be receptive to the message of the Gospel that's being sown, eventually bearing much good fruit in their lives.

    After the balloons are launched, the time it takes for them to finally reach altitudes high enough in which to burst and thus distribute the Scriptures can vary considerably. GPS units are used by VOM's ministry partners to help determine the best areas for future launches and to track where the balloons have landed.

    In a recent launch, three of the four units made it to shore in China. Considering that about 40 percent of northeastern China's population is Korean, it is hoped that the balloons will greatly impact all those who receive them there. To learn more about the ministry's innovative balloon launches, there is an interesting video clip available on VOM Canada's website.

    Let's thank God for inspiring those of our ministry team with this unique way to share the Gospel effectively among the citizens of what is considered the world's most restricted nation. Pray that the purposes for which these balloons are sent will accomplish much for the Kingdom of Heaven while, at the same time, bring glory to our wonderful Lord here on earth (Isaiah 55:11). May the church of North Korea thrive and be further strengthened despite any human attempts to restrict it.
  • Christians Blamed for Human Rights Atrocities

    Human Rights Council Session
    Photo: Flickr / United States Mission Geneva

    In response to a recent report from the United Nations Human Rights Council concerning human rights abuses in North Korea, authorities from the highly restrictive nation blamed Christian discipleship bases located in northeast China for influencing their citizens.
  • Pray for Successful Bible Balloon Launches

    Almost 48,000 Korean New Testaments
    have been launched via balloons.

    In the late hours of October 23rd, the staff of a VOM partner organization gathered to launch Bibles into North Korea via balloons. The launch party prepared packages containing lightweight Korean New Testaments, attached them to hydrogen-filled balloons, and released a total of 3,600 into the air. After the overnight launch, the group was just 675 short of their goal of sending 48,000 into a country where the Bible is forbidden.
  • Christian Humanitarian Sentenced for ''Hostile Acts''

    VOM is bringing the hope of the Gospel to people in North Korea.

    North Korea has found U.S. citizen Kenneth Bae guilty for "hostile acts" against the state, sentencing him to 15 years of hard labour. The verdict was handed down on April 30th. A press release from North Korea's "Korean Central News Agency" reported on May 15th that he has now begun serving his sentence within a "special prison."

    Kenneth, described as a devout Christian, is the owner of a North Korea tour company. He was in the country with official permission when detained by North Korean authorities on November 3rd. Human rights activist Rev. Robert Park says one thing is certain. "Bae, a humanitarian who had compassion for North Korea's starving and abandoned orphans, is not indictable for any crime. Rather, he is a hostage being held to accommodate yet undetermined North Korean agenda."

    The concerned activist further explains that this case is reminiscent of the still unresolved case of a Christian minister and humanitarian, Rev. Kim Dong-shik, who died in a North Korean prison. In 2000, North Korean agents crossed the border and hunted Kim down in China where he was operating several underground shelters for North Korean refugees. He was abducted and returned to North Korea where he was reportedly tortured and starved to death.

    A 2011 report from the U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea discovered that the country has abducted more than 180,000 people from 12 countries. Apart from North Korea's own citizens, Rev. Park said no nation and people have suffered more as a result of the savagery...than the Republic of Korea (South Korea). Apart from the abductions, murders and terrorist attacks, he believes North Korea continues to be the world's worst proliferator of nuclear weapons technology, also committing crimes against humanity and genocide against its own people. To learn how you can join us in reaching out to the citizens of North Korea with the Good News of the Gospel, please check this story.

    We can stand in the gap by interceding on behalf of Christians who, like Kenneth Bae and the late Rev. Kim Dong-shik, have been targeted by North Korea's regime of totalitarianism for doing what is noble and upright...for extending compassion toward abandoned orphans and refugees. Great is their reward in heaven! In the meantime, let's pray for the protection of Kenneth and numerous other believers who are suffering great injustice and mistreatment merely for being followers of Jesus. Also remember to lift up their loved ones and those who are advocating on their behalf.
  • Gospel balloons released

    Pray that the gospel messages carried
    by the balloons will reach many.

    A VOM partner, along with four North Korean defectors now living in South Korea, released 10 gospel balloons into the "Hermit Kingdom" on July 5. The North Korean believers hope the balloons and their cargo will reach their hometowns in North Korea and spread the Good News of Jesus Christ there.

    Launching these balloons is a tangible way for North Koreans now living in South Korea to reach out to their homeland. The four North Korean Christians wrote their testimonies and included them among the 45,000 flyers delivered by the balloons. This was the fifth balloon launch by the VOM partner this year.

    Pray that the gospel messages carried by the balloons will bring hope to those who read them. Also pray that North Korea's new leader will bring about positive reform and respect the freedoms of North Korean Christians. Pray that Christians in North Korea will remain steadfast in their faith and be a light to those around them.

    For more information on North Korea's persecuted Church, visit us at the North Korea Country Report.
  • UK Christians raise voice for North Korean believers

    Supporters, with faces painted with running tears,
    raised a voice at the North Korean Embassy in London.
    Photo: Release International / Crossfire

    A funeral procession for freedom was staged by VOM's sister mission in the UK, Release International, on January 20 outside the North Korean Embassy in London. Release International called on North Korea's new leader, Kim Jong-Un, to reverse the nation's reputation as one of the worst persecutors of Christians.

    To the beat of a drum, Release International's supporters accompanied a coffin to the Embassy. Dressed for mourning, their faces painted with running tears, they staged a prayer vigil. A 52,000-signature petition was also presented to the Embassy, calling for religious freedom.

    The coffin signified the death of freedom in North Korea under the previous leadership. After the petition was handed in, the coffin lid was opened and white balloons released -- a sign of hope for a new beginning.

    "With the country's new young leader, now is the time for change," said Release International's CEO. "Christians are treated as political prisoners and held in prison camps, which have been likened to concentration camps.... Because of their faith they are detained, brutally tortured and removed from society. Many are forced to flee the country they love to avoid terrible persecution and oppression. Given a chance to practice their faith freely, North Korean Christians would work to support North Korean society and unity."

    Pray that North Korean Christians will remain steadfast to God in every circumstance they face. Pray that religious freedom will soon be respected. Ask God to work powerfully in the life of Kim Jong-Un. Pray that Christians around the world will be dedicated to pray for believers in North Korea.

    For more information on our brothers and sisters in North Korea, visit the North Korea Country Report.
  • Christmas Blessing 2010 continues to bless North Koreans

    With the donations to VOM's 2010 Christmas Blessing project, packages that contain food, toiletries and other necessities continue to be delivered in 2011 to North Koreans in need. A recent update from the field reported that the recipients of these necessities were happy to receive the packages. The project continues to be a powerful way to demonstrate Christ's love and care for God's people in North Korea, a country that has consistently topped the world's human rights watch lists as being the most repressive and closed nation on earth. Horrifying reports of inhumane actions in the country, particularly towards Christians, highlight the continued need to uphold the North Korean Church in prayer. Even the North Korean citizens who manage to escape face extreme danger and risk. Many are frequently forced to return to face interrogation, torture and imprisonment. Watch your July newsletter for a more detailed report on a recent Christmas Blessing distribution.

    Thank the Lord for the faithful witness of His followers in North Korea. Pray for wisdom and guidance for those involved in undertaking this special project, protecting both those giving and receiving the packages. Pray North Koreans will look to the Father for everlasting hope in times of trial. Pray God will reveal Himself to Kim Jong Il and graciously transform his heart and the hearts of his subordinates so that they will embrace Christ.

    For more on those suffering for Christ's sake in North Korea, visit the North Korea Country Report.
  • Border guards kill five defectors


    Ingwang-ri in North Korea's North Hamgyong
    Province viewed from Helong, China
    Five North Koreans were shot dead and two others wounded by North Korean border guards on the Chinese side of the border when they tried to flee North Korea, a source said January 9. The high-level source in Changbai in the Chinese province of Jilin said the seven individuals left Hyesan, Yanggang Province, and walked across the frozen Apnok (or Yalu) River and reached the Chinese side on December 14. Five of them died instantly under intense gunfire by North Korean border guards who ran after them. The two others were wounded and taken to the North.

    North Korean border guards have never before shot at defectors once they reached the Chinese side. Observers say guards must have new instructions for dealing with defectors. Leader Kim Jong Il's son and heir, Kim Jong Un, has apparently ordered border guards to shoot anyone who crosses the border rivers without permission. He also reportedly said he would not tolerate defectors crossing the border. Reportedly, North Korean border guards are now armed with an AK-47 rifles with 40 reserve shells and hand grenades.

    While there is no reason to suspect that those who were killed were Christian, certainly everyone who crosses the border illegally will be impacted by this shocking change in security measures.

    Please pray that those living in hopelessness in this restrictive nation will find hope in Christ. Pray for believers in North Korea who follow Jesus at great risk. Pray for all those in authority in this nation; ask the Lord to open their eyes to the wisdom, compassion and the light of the gospel. Pray Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un will repent of their evil deeds and turn to Jesus for forgiveness.

    To learn more about the persecution of North Korean visitors, go to theNorth Korea Country Report.
  • Christmas Blessing packages prepared for North Korean believers

    Experts on religious liberty have determined that North Korea is the most restrictive nation in the world. North Koreans suffer under the "Dear Leader" Kim Jong Il, who sacrifices the needs of his people in order to bolster the power and control of his regime. Many are detained in brutal prison camps, and those on the outside are without daily necessities such as food, water and medical supplies. Christians are treated with particular cruelty.

    This year, VOM is again making possible a special Christmas Blessing project that supplies believers in North Korea with gift packages that contain food, toiletries, medication, clothing and Christian literature. This on-going project, with distributions made throughout the year, helps fulfill persecuted believers' basic needs. It is a powerful way to demonstrate Christ's love and care for those standing steadfast for the Lord in North Korea.

    Praise the Lord for the faithful ministry and witness of His people in North Korea. Pray for lasting provision for those without even the most basic of daily necessities. Pray the hope and message of God's plan for reconciling humanity to Himself through His Son continues to ring throughout North Korea, despite opposition and danger. Pray for the Lord to equip more workers to plant the seed of the gospel in North Korea.

    For more on those suffering for Christ's sake in North Korea, visit theNorth Korea Country Report.

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