North Korea

Kenneth Bae, a Korean-American and devout Christian, was arrested in North Korea in April for unspecified crimes. It has now been revealed by an official North Korean news source that Bae was involved in "covert" missionary activities and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. For the North Korean regime, spreading Christianity amounts to treason and many North Koreans have faced life imprisonment or even execution when accused of this crime. It is uncertain what, if anything, the U.S. can do to try to secure Bae's release. 

Kenneth Bae, a U.S. citizen and Christian, has been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment in North Korea. While the exact reasons behind his arrest remain unclear, some suspect it may have had to do with his work visiting orphanages in the country. The Christian faith is completely banned in North Korea and practicing Christianity can lead to to imprisonment of up to three generations of ones family. Former NBA star Dennis Rodman, who made an unusual visit to North Korea's leader in recent months, has called for Kenneth Bae to be released.  

It is still unclear why Kenneth Bae, an American citizen and Christian, was recently sentenced to 15 years of labor camp in North Korea. Some sources have speculated that his arrest had to do with the Kenneth's concern and desire to care for orphans in North Korea or other possible missionary activities. The United States has called for Kenneth to be released, but the autocratic North Korean regime, one of the worst persecutors of Christians in the world, seems unlikely to release Kenneth soon. 

As the world turns it's attention to North Korean threats of nuclear war it is high time that more attention be paid to the extensive human rights violations perpetrated by the North Korean regime on a daily basis. Long considered the world's worst persecutor of Christians, estimates place the number of imprisoned Christians at between 30,000 and 70,000. Once known as the Jerusalem of the East and a center of Christianity in Asia, the Communist regime run by the Kim family has tried to crush Christianity into oblivion for more than half a century. 

North Korea's dictatorial regime led by Kim Jong-Un has ratcheted up tensions with the international community in recent days by threatening to start a nuclear war with the United States. Christians in North Korea live in total secrecy and as many as 70,000 are estimated to be imprisoned in labor camps. 

The following opinion article by Nina Shea, the director of the Hudson Intitute's Center for Religious Freedom, is an excellent overview of persecution around the world. The initial story of a North Korean executed for owning a Bible is sadly as recent as 2005, and there is little evidence that conditions have changed in North Korea since. 

As many as 70,000 Christians are currently locked away in labor camps across North Korea. Despite a change of leadership last year the nation remains the world's worst persecutor of Christians. After conducting a third successful nuclear test last month the United Nations passed new sanctions in an attempt to censor North Korea for its actions, but these sanctions are unlikely to assist the countries persecuted believers. 

In a recent bizarre visit to North Korea, former NBA star Dennis Rodman called the nations dictator "awesome" and a "friend for life." At no point during the trip does it appear that North Korea's massive human rights violations were brought up, including the imprisonment of thousands of Christians in labor camps around the country. 

In North Korea, you, your parents, and your children can be given a life sentence in a prison camp for simply owning a Bible. The North Korean regime remains the most hostile government in earth towards Christianity, and it is estimated that up to 200,000 Christians live in complete secrecy within North Korea. 

The following article takes a look at all of the possible reasons Google Chairman, Eric Schmidt, is planning to take a somewhat mysterious trip to North Korea next week. There is speculation that part of his mission will be to secure the release of Kenneth Bae, an American human rights activist and Christian who has been detained for over a month by North Korean authorities. Some Christian organizations have speculated that Kenneth was involved in missions work, something highly illegal in North Korea, and was summarily detained. 

An estimated 200,000 to 400,000 Christians live in hiding throughout North Korea. Conditions are appalling, and only a few years ago evidence was revealed that a Christian woman was publicly executed for distributing Bibles in the country. North Korea is one of the world's worst persecutors of Christians and a recent New Year's day speech by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un calling for reconciliation has many, including ICC, skeptical about his motives.  

North Korea remains one of, if not the worst, persecutor of Christians in the world. It is estimated that tens of thousands of Christians are interned in prison camps under terrible conditions. The predominant ideology of North Korea's Communist government, Juche, leaves no room for loyalty to religious beliefs and sees Christianity as a threat to its control. 

North Korea continues to top nearly every list of the world's worst persecutor of Christians year after year. For a North Korean to even be discovered with a Bible can lead to the life imprisonment of themselves and up to three generations of their family. The American citizen currently detained may have been working as a secret missionary, but information is very scarce at this point. 

While the reasons for Kenneth Bae's detainment are still unclear, some suspect he may have been carrying out missionary activities within North Korea under the guise of providing tours to Western tourists and businessmen. Bae is a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from North Korea.