Open Doors, 17 February 2020
When a Christian is discovered in North Korea, it’s very likely that they’ll be sent to a horrendous labour camp for the rest of their lives. An estimated 50,000-70,000 Christians are imprisoned in these camps.
The outside world very rarely sees photographs of these prisoners. But one was smuggled out to us.
We don’t know the man, why he was imprisoned, or which labour camp he is in. He might be a Christian imprisoned for his faith, or for any other reason that he’s ended up there. He might not know the reason himself.
Prisoners allowed to do agricultural work outside the camp are the ‘lucky ones’ because they might find edible plants, insects, snakes, rats or frogs. The food provision in a labour camp is only about 500-600 calories per day – about half the minimum recommended amount.
The photo it shows the human reality of this tyrannical regime. When we pray for believers in prison in North Korea, it helps us to picture this man.