‘North Korean Christianity… ‘ Published by Pastor Yang Byeong-hee
“There are clear signs of change in North Korea, such as quoting the Bible.”
“Preparations for unification, including support for settlement of North Korean defectors”
“For the sake of the country and the next generation, beyond the church, the North Korean ministry that prepares for unification is a path that must be taken no matter how difficult it may be.”
Senior Pastor Yang Byeong-hee (pictured) of Youngan Church (Presbyterian Church of Korea), who recently published ‘North Korea Christianity Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow’, was asked in an interview on December 28 last year why he has devoted himself to North Korean ministry for over 20 years. He said this. ‘North Korean Christianity… ‘ is a book that deals with the reality of Christianity in North Korea based on his visits to North Korea after he began his ministry in North Korea and the testimonies and materials of North Korean defectors.
Pastor Yang said, “There is no freedom of religion in North Korea, and religious buildings are only used for regime propaganda, but there are clear signs of change underneath.” One of them is that it is still not possible to possess a Bible, but the perspective on the Bible has changed. The definition of the Bible is said to have changed from ‘a book containing false and deceptive doctrines of the Christian Church’ in the past to ‘a book containing mainly Christian religious doctrines’ in the 2000s. The contents of the Bible are almost identical, except that God is written as God and the Book of Revelation is written as the Apocalypse. The Bible compiled by the Korean Christian Federation states, ‘It is better to be at peace over a single piece of dry bread than to have a house full of meat and still be at war’ (Proverbs 17:1). It is better to feel comfortable eating scorched rice than to fight.
Pastor Yang, who first visited North Korea in 2002 at the invitation of the Korean Christian Federation, said, “The sight of an elderly woman shedding tears during worship led me down the path of North Korean ministry for over 20 years.” It is said that while holding hands and worshiping together with several North Korean residents at a family worship center, there happened to be no North Korean leader in the room. He said, “As I was talking about God’s love, an elderly woman who was holding my hand shed tears while silently scratching my palm. I couldn’t reveal it for fear of punishment, but I felt that there are people with real faith among North Korean residents.” said. It is said that the father of the grandmother who held his hand was an elder before liberation. Afterwards, he majored in North Korean studies at Korea University to get to know North Korea better, established the Northeast Asian Korean National Council, and began working in earnest on North Korean ministry and support.
At Yeongan Church, about 100 North Korean defectors attend worship every week. He has baptized about 760 North Korean defectors so far. The North Korea Mission Department, created within the church in 2001, has a pastor from the Ministry of Unification in charge and is carrying out various support projects, including legal and medical services, for North Korean defectors. Pastor Yang said, “We too are afraid to go to the police station or lawyer’s office because we don’t know much, but what about North Korean defectors?” He added, “If we help North Korean defectors settle down well in our society through the church, it will play a big role in preparing for and advancing the era of unification.” “I will do it,” he said.
“According to the ‘International Open Door Mission’, which informs about the situation of Christian persecution around the world, there are reports that approximately 50,000 to 100,000 Christians in North Korea are imprisoned in camps or exiled to remote mountains. “The fact that someone is imprisoned in a place where people are punished for their beliefs is proof that there are people who sincerely believe.”
Pastor Yang said, “After suffering so much from North Korea’s provocations and being stabbed in the back, many people now say that when we ask to help North Korea, ‘Didn’t the aid result in nuclear development?’” He added, “There was definitely that aspect, but even so, North Korea “Humanitarian support for residents must continue,” he appealed.
Reporter Lee Jin-gu [email protected]
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