North Korea (MNN)–North Korea conducted an underground nuclear test, drawing condemnation from an alarmed global community.
Security council members have proposed harsh sanctions for the country’s defiance. Those include a trade ban on military and luxury items, the power to inspect all cargo entering or leaving the country, and freezing assets connected with its weapons programs.
Open Doors’ Jerry Dykstra says the closed country not only continues to flaunt international law, but the government also ruthlessly suppresses evangelicals.
It’s likely to get worse before it gets better. While elusive, Dykstra says the connection is that, “Christians are equated to the West and they’re being further marginalized in North Korea because of what’s happened, according to their government. They’re under even more scrutiny than anybody else inside North Korea. I think we can probably expect more intense persecution because North Korea is going to be even more isolated.”
North Korea replaced Saudi Arabia as the country where Christians are most severely persecuted according to the “World Watch List” published by Open Doors in August.
First hand reports and other sources confirm what was earlier suspected. Christians who are put in jail in North Korea are treated in an even more inhumane way than the other prisoners.
The church has survived in North Korea. Christian refugees escaping North Korea’s famine have told of small house churches in the country.
Dykstra believes that keeping the country under constant prayer cover will make a difference. “We have a prayer campaign that’s been going on for over a year now. We have people praying almost around the clock, but there’s still room for more people to be involved. That commits people to ten minutes of prayer every week for North Korea.”
If you want to be a part of the prayer campaign, click here.
