North Korea, the world’s worst persecutor of Christians, is transforming from a martyr church into a missionary church.
The number of Christians in North Korea is estimated to be around 400,000, which is approximately 1.5% of the population. Among them, 50,000 to 70,000 believers are suffering in horrific prisons and labor camps. For twenty years, until 2021, North Korea ranked first on Open Doors’ World Watch List (WWL) for Christian persecution, with a score of 94. In 2022, the regime reached an unprecedented 96.4 points, yet it ranked second after Afghanistan, which had an extremely high score of 98. With the enactment of the new “Anti-Reactionary Thought and Culture Act” and the intensification of blockades and restrictions due to COVID-19, arrests and violence against Christians have worsened.
In October 2022, Cornerstone Ministries International held a missionary seminar under the theme “From the Martyr Church to the Missionary Church.” Pastor Isaac, the representative of the mission organization, stated, “We recognize that the underground church in North Korea is a church of martyrs, but we also want to highlight its missionary aspect. The history of persecution and martyrdom under the North Korean regime, from before the Korean War to the present, surpasses our imagination. Through their martyrdom, we can examine our own faith.” He further explained, “Even amidst extreme persecution, the North Korean church is carrying out a special mission called ‘pulling’. This seminar will be a valuable time to prepare mission strategies for regions where the gospel is restricted.”
Pastor Ban-Seok Lee, the General Secretary of Cornerstone Ministries International, spoke on the theme “From the Martyr Church to the Missionary Church.” He said, “In the face of extreme climate change, economic instability, and the threat of war, many questions arise regarding the church and missions. However, God’s mission continues even in difficult circumstances, even in North Korea,” adding,“Although extreme persecution continues and the blood of martyrdom continues to flow in North Korea, I discovered that the underground church there is the missionary church.”
Pastor Lee emphasized, “The underground church on the Korean Peninsula did not begin under Kim Il-Sung’s communist regime. It originated when believers resisted shrine worship during the Japanese occupation and continued family worship in secrecy.“
Pastor Lee said, “For the past seventy years, the underground church in North Korea has survived persecution and has existed in an unofficial form across the country. Although many believers have been martyred, the church has also grown under these conditions. From 1945 to 2006, recorded martyrdom cases total 16,984. Between 1953 and 1972, there were 10,897 martyrs; from 1972 to 1988, there were 299; from 1988 to 1995, there were 741; and from 1995 to 2006, 3,720 believers were martyred. Notably, the number of Christians discovered in the church has increased, which is evidence that the underground church is expanding.” Among the 16,984 martyrs, 5,723 became Christians after 1945. The reasons for their conversions include: 3,398 due to parental influence, 1,789 through personal evangelism, 340 due to their experiences as defectors, 86 through radio broadcasts and the Bible, 3 through encounters with outsiders and missionaries, 19 while abroad, 7 through the presence of the Holy Spirit, and 81 through other means.
Also, regarding the geographical distribution of martyrs, Pastor Lee stated, “Until 1972, most martyrs occurred in North Pyongan Province and Hwanghae Province. However, from 1995 to 2006, the largest number of underground churches and martyrs were found in North Hamgyong Province. This means that before 1972, many “stump believers” were martyred. However, after the Arduous March period, external support helped establish underground churches inside North Korea, proving that evangelism has led to revival.”
Pastor Lee further explained, “When we analyze religious persecution cases, distinguishing between worship activities and the possession of religious materials such as the Bible, we find that evangelism is occurring more than we might assume. According to the North Korea Religious Freedom White Paper, 168 respondents—equivalent to 1.2% of North Korean defectors—reported secretly participating in religious activities while in North Korea. Of these, 159 became defectors after 2001. Furthermore, the percentage of those who experienced secret religious activities increased from 2009 to 2011.”
He stated, “As of July 2020, there were 1,411 cases of religious persecution in North Korea. Of these, 53% were due to participation in religious activities, 23.5% were for possessing religious materials, 10.3% were for spreading religion, and 4.5% were for having contact with religious individuals. Additionally, before 2000, only 16 North Korean defectors reported having seen a Bible, whereas after 2000, this number surged to 559, demonstrating that there are more and more believers in North Korea.”
In conclusion, Pastor Lee stated, “This is similar to the early church where a life of faith was both a mission and martyrdom. The North Korean underground church is carrying out a mission of “pulling” in the midst of persecution and martyrdom, and the situation is drawing many churches and mission organizations from other countries to North Korea. The heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, who wanted to evangelize the European continent, is the same as the current desire to evangelize North Korea.”
》Prayer Points
1. Let us give thanks that the North Korean Church has endured over seventy years of persecution under a dictatorship, yet remains strong as an underground church, carrying out evangelism and missions in victory. It is estimated that there are approximately 400,000 Christians in North Korea, with 50,000 to 70,000 imprisoned in labor camps. Let us proclaim that nothing can separate this Church from God’s love and pray that it will be filled even more with His presence.
36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our LORD.(Romans 8:36-39,NIV)
2. In the midst of persecution in North Korea, let us praise the many Christians who, even in martyrdom, have not abandoned their faith but have confessed and glorified the Lord. Let us pray that the North Korean Church, growing despite severe persecution, will fulfill its special “pulling” and become a beacon for mission strategies in regions where the gospel is restricted, leading to the completion of God’s mission.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”(John 20:21-23)
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