North Korea today remains one of the most repressive nations on earth, especially if you're a Christian

North Korea: December 29, 2009, (PCTV Newsdesk)

North Korea today remains one of the most repressive nations on earth – especially if you’re a Christian.

All Christian meetings, Christian literature and Bibles are banned – forcing believers to meet secretly, at great personal risk to themselves and their families.

Many Christians have been sent to death camps as political prisoners and subjected to brutal treatment in appalling conditions: torture, abuse, execution or simply being worked to death. Entire families are known to have been imprisoned if just one member is found to be a Christian, or in possession of a Bible.

Nobody knows how many Christians there are today inside North Korea. Before the Communists came to power, there were said to be 300,000 believers and the capital Pyongyang was knows as ‘Asia’s Jerusalem’ because of the strong influence of Christianity.

However during the Korean War (1950-53) many fled to South Korea or were martyred.

The BBC has estimated that ‘despite the persecutions, it is thought up to 30,000 North Koreans may practise Christianity secretly in their homes.’

The North Korean regime maintains a façade of religious freedom. As recently as 1998, it opened three churches in Pyongyang. However, these are widely considered to be showcases for foreigners: sermons contain political material supporting the regime.

Every year thousands of North Korean refugees flee across the border into neighbouring China to begin a dangerous journey in search of freedom. Most hope to reach South Korea.

Yet the Chinese authorities forcibly repatriate around 4,000 refugees a year to North Korea, where they face imprisonment, torture and even death.

Many refugees are helped by activists inside China who provide safe houses, food, transport and local knowledge – a secret network known as the ‘underground railroad’. A number of these organisations and individuals serving North Koreans in need are Christian, and include trusted partners of Release.

More information on  www.releaseinternational.org