The Hub Journal
Volume 2 Issue 12
Page 3
On Robert Park and North Korea by Tash Schoultz
Page 3
On Robert Park and North Korea by Tash Schoultz
“Concentration camps,” “1000 people a day (dying) by starvation,” and “genocide” are the reasons that Robert Park, a fellow Christian and human rights activist, listed for walking across the Tumen river and entering North Korea (illegally) Christmas evening around 5pm. The Tumen river lies on the border between North Korea and China, and during the winter time many North Koreans illegally leave their country by walking across this river, which is frozen, and escape into China in search of a better life. Although the border is guarded by armed guards, instructed to shoot at anyone trying to escape the country, many North Koreans risk the possibility of death rather than stay within the oppressive confines of North Korea out of sheer desperation. It was therefore surprising for many to hear that a Christian Korean American would freely choose to enter North Korea, despite North Korea’s very negative human rights record and its history of persecuting Christians.
Robert Park entered North Korea in plain sight with a letter addressed to the country’s president imploring him to rectify the human rights abuses happening in North Korea and to release the political prisoner’s who are in the prison camps. In an interview with Reuters, Robert Park is quoted as saying, “I want Kim Jong-il and the North Korean government to know that I love them. I love all these people. I am going in because it has to change, for the sake of the children, the men and the women who are being brutally murdered.” As he entered North Korea, he was fully aware that he may be martyred, a price that Robert Park told the media (prior to entering) that he would be willing to pay in order to highlight to the world the seriousness of the North Korean situation.
Living in South Korea for almost 7 years now, reading extensively about North Korea and meeting a number of North Korean defectors as well as being involved in a volunteer capacity with an NGO related to North Korean human rights back in 2007, I can concur with Robert Park that the North Korean situation is very serious. Defectors living in South Korea, as well as in other countries around the world, give testimony to Christians being tortured and killed in the prison camps of North Korea. In a country where religious freedom is non-existent, if the North Korean government finds out that someone is a Christian they are labeled as a political dissident and are sentenced to long prison terms in political prison camps, which, as Robert Park told Reuters, are comparable to those of Nazi Germany, or worse. I have read testimonies of liquidized metal being poured over Christians as they were martyred for their faith, of Christians in the prisons not being allowed to look up at the sky in fear that they are praying or being involved in what the prison officials call “superstitious” behavior, and of prisoners in the camps feeling lucky to be able to catch rats to eat in order to be able to escape starvation.
North Korea is about a two hour drive from the affluent capital of South Korea, Seoul – yet it is like travelling to a completely different world. In Seoul we see bags and bags of leftover food being thrown away daily. We also see people eating expensive meat and seafood dishes in trendy restaurants, large modern apartment buildings with cozy warm underfloor heating, and the latest in cell phone technology and designer bags being profligately displayed. It breaks my heart to think that the food we throw away daily could save the lives of thousands of starving North Koreans.
Yet, as Robert Park points out, North Korea is indeed receiving a lot of food aid from various international nations however the starving people of North Korea never see this food, instead the food is distributed to the army and military who are involved in the suppression of the North Korean people. Food is used to control North Korean citizens, with those in good favor with the government getting more food than those in bad favor with the government, and of course Christians are at the very bottom of the pecking order receiving barely enough food to survive on in the prison camps.
Considering how desperate the situation in North Korea is, and that it is our brothers and sisters in the family of Christ who are being martyred for loving Jesus, it is no wonder that Robert Park’s heart broke for this nation and that he is willing to give his life for the people of North Korea. Whether you agree with Mr. Park’s method of drawing attention to the situation or not, is peripheral. Of far greater importance to us should be how Jesus feels about what is happening to His people in North Korea. Our hearts should break for the things that break our Lord’s heart. Knowing what is happening just two hours from many of our homes should move us so much that we weep over this nation, fast and pray to see change. Second Chronicles 7:14 tells us, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” All of us need to recognize the universality of the body of Christ and realize that when one part of the body of Christ is in pain, we all suffer along with them. The situation in North Korea is not only the situation of the North Korean people and the persecuted North Korean church, but it is our situation, too. We need to humble ourselves along with them, turn from our wicked ways, seek God’s face, repent and plead with God for the healing of the North Korean nation.
At present Robert Park is detained in North Korea, please keep him in your prayers.
Robert Park entered North Korea in plain sight with a letter addressed to the country’s president imploring him to rectify the human rights abuses happening in North Korea and to release the political prisoner’s who are in the prison camps. In an interview with Reuters, Robert Park is quoted as saying, “I want Kim Jong-il and the North Korean government to know that I love them. I love all these people. I am going in because it has to change, for the sake of the children, the men and the women who are being brutally murdered.” As he entered North Korea, he was fully aware that he may be martyred, a price that Robert Park told the media (prior to entering) that he would be willing to pay in order to highlight to the world the seriousness of the North Korean situation.
Living in South Korea for almost 7 years now, reading extensively about North Korea and meeting a number of North Korean defectors as well as being involved in a volunteer capacity with an NGO related to North Korean human rights back in 2007, I can concur with Robert Park that the North Korean situation is very serious. Defectors living in South Korea, as well as in other countries around the world, give testimony to Christians being tortured and killed in the prison camps of North Korea. In a country where religious freedom is non-existent, if the North Korean government finds out that someone is a Christian they are labeled as a political dissident and are sentenced to long prison terms in political prison camps, which, as Robert Park told Reuters, are comparable to those of Nazi Germany, or worse. I have read testimonies of liquidized metal being poured over Christians as they were martyred for their faith, of Christians in the prisons not being allowed to look up at the sky in fear that they are praying or being involved in what the prison officials call “superstitious” behavior, and of prisoners in the camps feeling lucky to be able to catch rats to eat in order to be able to escape starvation.
North Korea is about a two hour drive from the affluent capital of South Korea, Seoul – yet it is like travelling to a completely different world. In Seoul we see bags and bags of leftover food being thrown away daily. We also see people eating expensive meat and seafood dishes in trendy restaurants, large modern apartment buildings with cozy warm underfloor heating, and the latest in cell phone technology and designer bags being profligately displayed. It breaks my heart to think that the food we throw away daily could save the lives of thousands of starving North Koreans.
Yet, as Robert Park points out, North Korea is indeed receiving a lot of food aid from various international nations however the starving people of North Korea never see this food, instead the food is distributed to the army and military who are involved in the suppression of the North Korean people. Food is used to control North Korean citizens, with those in good favor with the government getting more food than those in bad favor with the government, and of course Christians are at the very bottom of the pecking order receiving barely enough food to survive on in the prison camps.
Considering how desperate the situation in North Korea is, and that it is our brothers and sisters in the family of Christ who are being martyred for loving Jesus, it is no wonder that Robert Park’s heart broke for this nation and that he is willing to give his life for the people of North Korea. Whether you agree with Mr. Park’s method of drawing attention to the situation or not, is peripheral. Of far greater importance to us should be how Jesus feels about what is happening to His people in North Korea. Our hearts should break for the things that break our Lord’s heart. Knowing what is happening just two hours from many of our homes should move us so much that we weep over this nation, fast and pray to see change. Second Chronicles 7:14 tells us, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” All of us need to recognize the universality of the body of Christ and realize that when one part of the body of Christ is in pain, we all suffer along with them. The situation in North Korea is not only the situation of the North Korean people and the persecuted North Korean church, but it is our situation, too. We need to humble ourselves along with them, turn from our wicked ways, seek God’s face, repent and plead with God for the healing of the North Korean nation.
At present Robert Park is detained in North Korea, please keep him in your prayers.
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