Follow-up on Children Without a Nation

There is always more to the story.  North Korean orphans and abandoned children live a hard life, not that life in North Korea is easy for the average citizen, often trying to survive on the streets.  Most are malnourished and mistreated.  A few escape to China where life is not much easier.

One group was recently in the news.  The group had been staying in a foster home in China that housed up to 18 North Korean orphans.  In China they were in constant danger of being discovered and repatriated back to North Korea.  One of the group, a girl of 16 who looked like a grade school child due to her chronic malnutrition, had already been the victim of sex traffickers.

Nine of the children decided to leave for South Korea through Laos.  Their goal was to reach the U.S. embassy in Laos where they would be safe until they could enter South Korea.  They were under the impression that if they could only reach Laos they would be safe.  Unfortunately they were stopped at a check point.  The U.S. embassy was notified but under international law they had to be physically in the U.S. embassy to be considered under the protection of the U.S. government.

Things got worse.  Somehow they ended up being collected by the North Korean embassy instead of the South Korean embassy.  Back in North Korea they became a propaganda tool for the Kim regime.  At least for now, with all of the international press they have received, the children are safe.  They are too prominent to conveniently disappear into one of the many North Korean prison camps.

The 16 year-old girl who had already been trafficked decided not to leave China with the others.  She remains in foster care there.

This is only one of many stories from North Korea.  Another important group that is severely persecuted is the underground church in North Korea.  Christians are particularly persecuted because they are harder to subdue with fear tactics.  They are also harder to corrupt, making them a threat to a system that relies on a combination of fear and corruption to control all segments of society.

Author Peter Jung recently published his book called "Persecution" about the underground church of  North Korea.  The book is written in Korean, but is due to be translated into English soon.

Next blog on North Koea will address the "choco-pie" economy.  Stay tuned.  Also check out the website: NKnet.org for more on North Korea