NORTH KOREA: FIVE CHRISTIANS ARRESTED DURING SECRET BIBLE STUDY

Your prayers are needed for five members of a family in North Korea who were arrested as they gathered at a farmhouse for prayer and Bible study.

The incident happened early on Sunday 30 April at a farm in Tongam village, South Pyongan Province. Police raided the meeting, arrested the believers and sent them to one of the country’s notorious prison camps. They also confiscated Christian literature found in their possession. The group have been charged with promoting an underground prayer service. It is common for Christians facing this charge to be held in prison or a labour camp indefinitely.

The group had reportedly been meeting on a weekly basis, and their arrest followed a tip-off by an informant.

It is not clear where the five are being held, but they are said to have refused to renounce their faith. “A staff member of the judicial agency told us that the [believers] refused to tell where they got their Bibles and said, ‘All for Jesus, even in death’,” a source told Radio Free Asia.

Unimaginable consequences

The village of Tomgam has a history of Christianity, once housing a large church. It’s a reminder of how the country at one time held a strong Christian presence. The parents of Kim Il-sung, the ‘eternal president’ of North Korea, are even said to have been devout Christians.

But today, the risks that come with following Jesus in North Korea are enormous. This has been reinforced in a report recently released by the US State Department, which highlights how Christians are particularly targeted for awful treatment by the country’s authoritarian regime. It referenced several harrowing cases, such as the imprisonment of an entire family, including a two-year-old, after the couple were discovered with a Bible.

It’s unimaginable what could these five brave believers could now face following their arrest. Please pray for them, and the many other believers who are experiencing appalling suffering under the regime.