Story number 1 for 19 Jun 2003

(North Korea)–We begin today in North Korea, where the food situation, combined with international isolation, appears to be getting worse. Humanitarian rights are losing value, particularly those of believers. The country now tops Open Doors’ World Watch list. Open Doors’ Jeff Taylor describes what’s happening behind North Korea’s walls. “It’s one of those things where you just take bits and pieces of information and piece it together. You begin to see a picture that good things are happening in North Korea, that there is a church still there, that it hasn’t been wiped out. But, occasionally, we’ll hear of executions taking place of Christians, because those reports will come out. ” Taylor adds that while traditional evangelistic work is almost impossible inside North Korea, it continues. “We estimate there could be anywhere from 100-thousand to a half million believers in North Korea. They hold the key to the future of that country. We do need to pray that they’ll be bold in their faith. We need to pray practically, that they’ll have food, because it’s a very difficult situation there.”