Story photo by Cyrus Farivar
North Korea (MNN) ― Tensions between North and South Korea rose even higher this week.
Yesterday, North Korea invalidated the 2004 accord designed to prevent an escalation of war along the Demilitarized Zone, a 2.5-mile-wide buffer between Korea's two opposing armies. It's the world's most heavily-fortified border, which was created as part of the Korean War armistice of 1953.
Accusations have flown since international investigators confirmed a North Korean submarine torpedoed the South Korean navy corvette, the Cheonan, killing 46 sailors. he incident occurred last week, in waters south of a western sea border, defended by the South, and ignored by the North.
Making good on an earlier threat, the North Korean military is also considering blocking communications and transportation across the land border.
Carl Moeller with Open Doors observes that this could be a costly provocation and "could certainly mean that North Korea plunges headlong into total insanity and goes to war with the South. There would be millions of casualties."
Economic sanctions would also likely occur, which would further devastate an already destitute nation. At the bottom of the social scale are those with no voice and no standing: the Christians. They'd be easy marks with attention focused on the potential of war.
When asked if they expected to see a jump in oppression against believers, Moeller says it's already happening. "There's more scrutiny on the border with China. People who are able to flee as refugees are being captured, and when they're captured, they're turned into labor camp convicts. Secondly, the underground networks of believers are under more pressure as a result of more government infiltration."
Open Doors quotes an expert on North Korea: "Christians are the target of fierce government action, and once caught, are not regarded as human. Last year we had evidence that some [of those captured] were used as guinea pigs to test chemical and biological weapons."
If EVER there was a time to lift up believers in North Korea, it's now. Moeller says, "There's no question about it: it's the number one prayer request of North Korean believers. They've specifically been praying over this last year for Western Christians to pray for revival."
North Korea was at the top, once again, of the World Watch List. It is most noted for a ruthless suppression of religious activity, which the government recognizes as an insurrection to the North Korean socialist principles.
To that end, pray that Christians will have opportunities to share the love of Christ, even with those who oppress them. Pray for the salvation of Kim Jung Il and his leadership team.
