North Korea’s Underground University

Image by WanderingSolesPhotography via Flickr

Seong Min Kim was a colonel in the North Korean army. After completing his obligatory ten years of military service, he was recognized for his writing skills and assigned the task of writing worship songs for North Korea’s head of state, Kim Jong-il. He was put in charge of the Troupe Art Propaganda team, which brings “joy” to workers throughout the country.

Seong Min Kim was actually given traditional Christian hymns to rewrite for the worship of Kim Jong-il. In an interview with 100 Huntley Street reporter Bridget Antwi, Seong Min said that Christian themes and wording are often reworked and used in this emperor worship. For example, the North Korean version of the trinity is Leader, Party, and People.

The worship of any deity other than Kim Jong-il is dangerous in North Korea. Christianity especially is seen as a threat to the country’s stability. In an attempt to stamp out Christianity, harsh sentences are handed to those who are caught and arrested. Simply bowing one’s head in public could merit a prison sentence. Most political prisoners sent to the prison camps are never seen again. Possession of a Bible is punishable by death. Yet despite the horrific oppression, there are an estimated 100,000 Christians currently living in North Korea. They practice their faith in deep secrecy under relentless persecution.

In North Korea, poverty and hunger are ignored by a government whose priority is military spending. Several seasons of poor harvests due to flooding some years and drought in others have led to a chronic food shortage. Poor infrastructure makes it difficult for foreign aid to get to the people who need it.  The corrupt regime has been uncooperative in disarmament decrees, and the sanctions imposed by the US and other countries are hurting the people much more than the governing officials.

Leaving North Korea is an act of treason. Those who are caught face imprisonment, torture, and often death. Seong Min Kim, as a colonel in the army, had a more comfortable life than most, but his desire for freedom led him to take the risk. He crossed the Tuman River into China.

China forcibly repatriates North Korean refugees. Like many North Koreans trying to hide in China, Seong Min went to a group of South Korean Christians for help. Their goal is to get the refugees to South Korea as quickly as possible.

Seong Min tried to board a ship bound for South Korea, but was discovered and arrested. He was tortured and put on a train bound for a prison camp. During the train ride, he thought about the things he learned from the Christians who had harboured him in China. He wasn’t sure if he believed in God, but he prayed out of desperation: “Lord, if you save me one more time I will give you all my life.” Suddenly confident, he jumped off the train and managed to get back to China. Once again he was sheltered by Christians, but this time he accepted Christ as his own personal savior.

With the help of other North Korean defectors and the Christian organization Voice of the Martyrs, Seong Min Kim founded Freedom North Korean Radio.

Voice Of the Martyrs helps North Koreas living in exile in China and South Korean, and inside North Korea by equipping a project called Underground University. This is a twelve month course on evangelism, with an emphasis on staying safe while living “behind enemy lines” in North Korea.

Since owning a Bible is very dangerous they have come up with some creative ways to get Scriptures into the hands of North Koreans.

One venture involved covering balloons with Scripture verses, filling them with helium, and launching them from the South Korean border.

Since the internet is not widely available, fax machines have been used to get Scripture verses and words of hope into North Korea, as well as to get updates about North Korea out of the country.

Reporter Bridget Antwi said that after meeting people who gather in groups of 2 or 3 during the night to read Scriptures by candle light, she felt convicted about all of the days when she is tempted to ignore her own Bible. I can understand that. We take our religious freedoms for granted here in the west.