North Korea

North Korea is one of the most repressive and isolated regimes in the world and denies every kind of human right to its citizens. The government is believed to possess several nuclear weapons, and multination talks aimed at dismantling Pyongyang’s nuclear program were intermittent in 2005.

Religion: Non-Religious 64.31%, Traditional ethnic 16.00%, Chondogyo 13.50%, Buddhist 4.50%, and Christian 1.69% (The exact number of Christians is unknown. The figure is an estimate.)

Ideological Influence: One-man dictatorship with communist influence. The country’s previous leader, Kim Il Sung, founded an ideology called “Juche,” meaning self-reliance, which is enforced in every aspect of the culture by the ruling elite.

Head of State: Kim Jong Il, the son of deceased leader Kim Il Sung

Persecution: All religions have been harshly repressed. Many thousands of Christians have been murdered since the Korean War. In 1953, there were about 300,000 Christians; however, the number has reduced to a few thousand today. Christians must practice their faith in deep secrecy and are in constant danger.

Missionary Opportunity: There are three churches in North Korea’s capital, Pyongyang, but they are only for show. Many North Koreans have fled to China, some of them Christians, and have been known to return to North Korea to share the gospel. Any North Korean sent back by the Chinese government faces almost certain death. Despite the harsh conditions Christians face in North Korea, the Lord is adding to their numbers daily.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide In an unprecedented move, family and activists have called upon the international community to intervene to abort the execution of a named North Korean man, Mr. Son Jong Nam. CSW joins with multiple agencies that protested today outside the government complex in South Korea in calling for “efforts to rescue Son Jong Nam, who has been sentenced to public execution”. The appeal comes after Mr. Son’s brother, Son Jong Hoon, received information via a relative. He reported: ‘My brother is sentenced to public execution and even family members cannot visit him’. This is the first time that an appeal has been issued to prevent the known execution of a named individual in North Korea from taking place. Five North Korean defector organisations working for human rights in North Korea issued a joint statement on 4th April urging for intervention to stop the planned execution. They have now broadened their activities to ask the international community to intervene to raise the case. The joint agency statement reports that Mr. Son (48) is imprisoned in the basement of the National Security Agency in Pyongyang and is ‘practically dead from horrible torture’. Mr Son is accused of betraying his country and sharing information with South Koreans. It is believed the charges are grounded in his visit to China where he met with his brother and spoke about life in North Korea and, possibly, in his connection to Christianity. He had also received financial assistance for his survival from his brother. At a press conference reported by The Daily NK, his brother, Son Jong Hoon (43), stated: “In China, I only talked to him about how my siblings were doing and what North Koreans think of the Kim Jong Il regime. He shouldn’t be executed for the crime of betrayal or espionage. His execution needs to be stopped.” Mr Son defected from North Korea in 1997 with his wife, son and brother. He attended Church in China and became a Christian – a serious crime in North Korea. While his brother was successful in reaching South Korea in 2002, Son Jong Nam was repatriated in April 2001 and imprisoned for three years in the Ham-Gyung-Buk area prison camp in North Korea. He was released on parole in May 2004 after the intervention of influential contacts. He was expelled to Chongjin where he worked at a rocket research institute. In May 2004 Mr. Son was able to meet his brother in China and return to North Korea. However the individual in Musan who helped him travel to China informed on him to the Musan National Security Agency. The National Security Office in Musan asked their colleagues in Pyongyang to arrest Mr Son and he was taken in by the secret police in January 2006 as he was leaving his younger sister’s house in Pyongyang. Those close to him have been exiled from Pyongyang. Those closest to the situation, including Son Jong Hoon, are now calling for the wider international community to raise its voice to appeal for the life of Mr. Son. The statement from the North Korean defector organisations states: ‘Organisations including Association of North Korean Defectors, Democracy Network against North Korean Gulag, Free North Korean Broadcasting and 8,000 North Koreans are asking to stop the public execution of Son Jong Nam. … Mr. Son is currently facing critical danger. By raising the consciousness of the international community, we may be able to save Mr. Son.’ CSW’s International Advocate, Elizabeth Batha, who has gathered extensive first hand testimony from numerous torture victims and eyewitnesses of public execution, stated: ‘We are deeply concerned for the life and welfare of Mr. Son Jong Nam. North Korea practices brutal torture and it is hard to imagine the pain and suffering that will already have been inflicted upon him. We urge the international community to match the bravery and boldness of those who have decided to take this unprecedented step of announcing this to the outside world. We hope that those in a position of influence will be unstinting in strongly urging the North Koreans to abort their plans to carry out this unjust execution.’ For more information and photos, please contact Elizabeth Batha at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on 020 8329 0045 or email press@csw.org.uk or visit www.csw.org.uk CSW is a human rights organisation which specialises in religious freedom, works on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs and promotes religious liberty for all.