literature

Pray for North Korea

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North Korea is a country in East Asia.
It occupies the northern half of the Korean Peninsula.
It's bordered by China in the northwest and Russia in the northeast.

The capital and largest city is Pyongyang.
The population is 24 million.

FACTS
The name 'Korea' comes from Goryeo, which refers to the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo.

The border between North and South Korea is the most heavily fortified in the world.

North Korea is known as the 'Hermit Kingdom,' because of its isolationism

DEMOGRAPHICS
Most of the population is Korean
There is a small Chinese community and a few Japanese and Vietnamese

64.3% (15 million)  None
16%   (3 million)   Korean shamanism
13.5% (3 million    Cheondoism (A blend of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism)
4.5%  (1 million)   Buddhism
1.7%  (406,000)     Christian

HISTORY
The Korean Peninsula has been inhabited for thousands of years.

The Kingdom of Gojoseon was founded in northern Korea and Manchuria in 2333 B.C.

From 57-688 A.D. the peninsula was dominated by three kingdoms:
Goguryeo
Baekje
Silla

In 688 A.D. the three kingdoms were unified and went through a series of dynasties:
Silla Dynasty        688-918 A.D.
Goryeo Dynasty       918–1392
Joseon Dynasty       1392–1910

In 1910 Korea was annexed by Japan.

After WWII Korean was divided into two occupied zones.
The northern half was occupied by the Soviet Union
The southern half was occupied by the United States.

In 1948 two separate governments formed.
In 1949 a Communist state was established under Soviet auspices.

Conflicting claims of sovereignty led to the Korean War(1950-3)
An armistice was declared in 1953.
Despite the cease fire the two countries never signed a formal peace treaty
and remain officially at war.

Both states were accepted into the United Nations in 1991

During the 1990s North Korea faced economic disruptions and serious resource
shortages due to the collapse of the Eastern Bloc.

CONDITIONS
North Korea has been a Communist dictatorship since 1949.

The economy is industrialized and highly centralized.
The dominant sectors are industry, services  and agriculture.
North Korea's isolation policy means that international trade is highly restricted.

Much of North Korea is rural and underdeveloped.
Natural disasters and military spending have damaged the economy.

It is estimated that over the past fifteen years, two million have died due to food shortages.
North Korea has had to rely on foreign aid for food to feed its people.

Despite economic problems, quality of life is improving and wages have been rising.

Tourism has increased.
Most visitors are from China, Russia and Japan.

Food rations, housing, healthcare, and education are provided by the state for free.

North Korea is one of the most repressive and isolated regimes in the world.
Government officials deny citizens basic human rights.

People can be imprisoned for trying to escape, disobeying orders, smuggling a radio
or being caught watching American or South Korean films.

SPIRITUAL CONDITIONS
Most of the population are atheist/agnostic.
Buddhism and Confucianism has a strong cultural influence.

Chondoism is the only religion favored by the government because of its identity
as an anti-imperialist movement.

In North Korea, shamans and their families are targeted as members of the 'hostile class'
and considered to have tainted blood.
Despite this 16% of the population practices some form of traditional shamanism.

Buddhism is under the close scrutiny of the government.
Despite this temples are given limited funding due to the integral part that Buddhism has played in traditional Korean culture.

North Korea is the worst perpetrator of persecution against Christians in the world.

The government considers Christians to be a stability threat, and they are hunted everywhere.

In 2009, the authorities stepped up surveillance of Christians.
House searches became more rigorous.

Being a Christian carries a more severe punishment than espionage.
Owning a Bible can get one killed, or sent to a labor camp.

Christians must practice their faith in deep secrecy and are in constant danger.

Christian parents can't share their faith with their children until they're old enough to understand the dangers.

The largest number of Christian worshipers exists in concentration camps.

One out of four Christian prisoners are sent to prison camps where prisoners almost never leave.

Many North Korean Christians have fled to China.
The Chinese government offers a bounty for North Korean refugees equal to a year's salary.

When refugees are caught, they are returned to North Korea, where they face torture, imprisonment and often death.

Despite the risks, the church is growing.
There are an estimated 400,000 believers.

Despite the persecution, some Christians have returned to North Korea to share the Gospel.

Across North Korea, Christians continue to pray for evangelism and unity.

MARTYRS AND SUFFERERS
Experts estimate that of the 200,000 people incarcerated in prison camps.
At least 40,000 are Christians.

In 2010 hundreds of Christians were arrested.
Some were murdered, others sentenced to labor camps.

PRAYER NEEDS
Pray that the economy improve.

Pray for those who suffer from hunger and food shortages.

Pray for those who suffer persecution

Pray for endurance for the Christians in labor camps
Pray for Christians to perseveres despite persecution
Pray for parents who want to teach their children about Jesus.

Pray that the Gospel continue to spread.
*****************************************
Prayer update: North Korea

If there is one thing I've learned is that we Christians in the U.S. have it very easy.

When we think about persecution we usually think of it as something that happened long ago
during the Roman Empire but it is still happening around the world every day.

For some of us praying is all that we can do, to help thouse suffering, but it's something
that I'm trying to become more involved in. And maybe to help others see the need.

Note: All of this information I've gotten from the following sites:
This stuff isn't mine, I'm just trying to raise awareness.

LINKS
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_ko…

Prayercast
prayercast.com/north-korea.htm…

Operation World
www.operationworld.org/

Voice of the Martyrs
www.persecution.com/public/hom…

Open Doors USA
www.opendoorsusa.org/
© 2011 - 2024 SeekHim
Comments28
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StitchpunkGem's avatar
   It's not just a problem with Christianity, it should also be, and is, for Buddhism, Korean Shamanism, and more. But yes, pray for North Korea, and may the gods someday bring the horrible communist government, to their well deserved downfall, and free the citizens from brainwashing and starvation.