What’s Next for North Korea’s Christians? | RealClearReligion

When mysterious reports surfaced last week that the health of North Korea’s young dictator Kim Jong Un was in question following cardiovascular surgery, media outlets were quick to speculate about the future of the regime. If Kim were to die—particularly without a successor—the implications would be significant. In such a scenario, what would become of North Korea’s Christians?

Kim Jong Un, like his father and grandfather before him, rules his country with ruthless brutality. He is responsible for all manner of human rights abuses occurring on his watch, including torture, enslavement, starvation, and murder. The North Korean system of governance is designed to instill fear in its people, ensuring they never step out of line. No one is more familiar with the abysmal consequences of this strategy than North Korea’s Christians.

Religious freedom does not exist in North Korea and anyone who holds a faith does so at great risk. The paranoid dictatorial regime considers any religion to be a threat. But because Christianity is associated with the United States (considered by North Korea to be the vilest of their enemies), that makes Christians a primary target of the regime.Any outward expression of faith—including being found in possession of a Bible—is enough to land someone in a labor camp for the rest of his life. It is believed that 50,000 Christians are held in these camps, where detainees endure starvation, torture, and execution, all while forced to perform hard labor, which is rumored to contribute to North Korea’s nuclear weapons development program. Within the camps, it is reported that Christians—or those suspected of coming into contact with them—are singled out for harsher treatment by authorities.

Source: What’s Next for North Korea’s Christians? | RealClearReligion