- North’s realm condemns an innocent child of two summers to a lifetime in prison, a consequence of parental possession of a sacred scripture.
- The grim narrative of the execution of a Christian woman and her young progeny, and another of a state official by firing squad, for mere possession of the Bible.
- The martyrs endure the torment of the ‘pigeon torture’ – a state of perpetual discomfort, unable to sit or stand, their hands bound behind their back.
- A desolate account of a woman in confinement, driven to the brink of despair, and finally to suicide, due to relentless sleep deprivation.
- The unsettling reality of the Christian existence in North Korea, with estimates suggesting up to 70,000 Christians imprisoned for their faith amidst a population of 400,000.
- An ostensible promise of religious freedom in the North’s constitution, yet the churches stand as mere ‘showpieces for foreigners’.
In the realm of the North, where the sun sets with a grimace and the moon sheds tears of ice, an account of dolorous plight has been unmasked, a tale that rends the heart and chills the soul. A child, merely of two summers, has been condemned to the shadowy confines of a prison camp, a consequence of its parents being found with a sacred scripture, a Bible. The story of this innocent babe, his family likewise enchained, was unveiled in the International Chronicle of Religious Freedom, issued from the great halls of the US State Department.
The chronicle sheds light on the dark corners of the North’s regime, revealing tales of martyrdom and persecution. A woman of Christian faith, along with her tender grandchild, were led to their untimely end by firing squad in the year of our Lord, 2011. Another tale tells of a high-ranking official, executed before an audience of thousands at the Hyesan airfield, his crime: possession of a Bible.
Imagine, if you will, the torment of the ‘pigeon torture,’ where the faithful are suspended, their hands bound behind their backs, in a state of perpetual discomfort, unable to sit or stand, their spirit tested for days on end. ‘Twas the most harrowing of all torments,’ one survivor recalls. ‘So painful that I felt it was better to meet my maker.’ Others suffered the torment of unending wakefulness. A woman, alone in her cell, was driven to despair and finally to suicide in 2020, the gaolers refusing her the simple blessing of sleep.
The chronicle, a compilation of findings from various non-governmental organisations, human rights groups, and the United Nations, paints a harrowing portrait of the Christian existence under the rule of Kim Jong-Un. ‘Tis estimated that up to 70,000 Christians are imprisoned for their faith, out of a possible population of 400,000 souls.
In a cruel jest, the North guarantees its citizens religious freedom in its constitution, and the regime showcases the churches it has built in its capital, Pyongyang. However, these hallowed grounds operate only as ‘showpieces for foreigners’, whilst the true believers suffer in silence.
As I pen this account, my heart is heavy with the weight of their suffering. Yet, like the nightingale that sings evenin the darkest hour, the faithful endure. Their courage and resilience remind us of the power of the human spirit and the transcendent quality of faith. May their plight not be forgotten, and may their song, though born of sorrow, be a testament to their unyielding faith and indomitable spirit.
