“Love your neighbor as yourself, and show mercy on them.”
[May.17.2022] Research studies revealed that the religion of more than half of North Korean defectors is Protestantism. Experts found the reason for this is that churches help North Korean defectors.
According to the North Korean Human Rights Information Center (NKDB), as of 2019, 51.2% of North Korean defectors said their religion is Protestantism. Considering that 23% of the total population of South Korea is Protestant and the number of Protestants and Buddhists is close, the proportion of Protestants is overwhelmingly high.
On the 9th, NK News, an American media specializing in North Korea, analysed the cause. NK News said that the reason is that North Korean defectors often receive help from the church in the process of defecting. It is explained that there is a high possibility that they will naturally become familiar with Protestantism and choose Protestantism by meeting Korean missionaries from the early stage of defection and receiving various help.
“Many of the people working in organisations that help North Koreans are Protestants,” said Song Han-na, NKDB International Cooperation Officer. “Traditionally, there have been Protestant missionaries helping North Korean defectors in the area along the border with China,” she said.
The major churches in South Korea are providing funds and resources for projects related to North Korean defectors,” said Song, the International Cooperation Officer.
Most defectors escape from North Korea with the help of Christian missionaries. Even in the process of settling down in Korea, there are many cases of receiving help from the church. When private-level humanitarian aid to North Korea became possible in the 1990s, major denominations and groups of South Korean churches provided generous support to North Korea.
It has helped North Korea in many ways, including sending daily necessities and medicines, as well as building bread factories, hospitals, and schools. Despite the closure of the Kaesong Industrial Complex, North Korea’s successive nuclear provocations, and international sanctions against North Korea, it did not give up support for North Korea even in a situation where even private-level support was not available.
Yang-seop Shim, director of the Inter-Korean Love Network, said, “One of the most important tasks of Christianity today is unification through the gospel.” “The South Korean church should embrace the 35,000 North Korean defectors and take care of them in terms of their faith,” he said.
Director Shim said, “It is a really good thing that the religious circles, churches, and Christian groups have embraced North Korean defectors so far.(Source: Daily Good News)
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” (Luke 10:27,36-37)
God, thank You for allowing more than half of the North Korean defectors to accept Jesus Christ through Christian missionaries who helped them. Please provide wisdom and resources and protect the organisations and missionaries working in the border regions of North Korea as they help the souls and nurture them in faith. Lord, may the Korean church pray for unification through the gospel, and may they obey Your command to love their neighbors as themselves so that the North Korean defectors will also have the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ to serve other souls as missionaries.
Prayer 24·365
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