Missions, The Persecuted Church Across the World

DPRK and China collude to persecute Christians – January 13th 2021

Barnabas Fund, January 5, 2021 

Collusion between communist authorities in North Korea and neighbouring China over the arrest, punishment and forced repatriation of Christians has been described by exiles interviewed by Korea Future Initiative (KFI).

Investigators documented the torture and abuse of North Koreans in China before they were deported back to their home country, further tortured, and sent to brutal “re-education” camps for the “crime” of their Christian faith.

The KFI report describes a North Korean Christian being abducted in China by 3 Chinese men and a North Korean woman and driven to the Chinese border on the Amnok River. The Christian was bundled into a boat by at least 4 waiting North Korean security agents and taken across the river to North Korea for interrogation.  Interrogators used information sourced from informants in China.

Il-lyong Ju, an exiled human rights advocate, wrote that the “cruel actions” of those in North Korea who persecute Christians must be prevented. He added, “North Korean officials, whose crimes evoke thoughts of Auschwitz, must be identified and held accountable. And we must not forget the testimonies of the survivors in this report who have overpowered death in North Korea.”