North Korea (ANS) -- The isolated communist country of North Korea has been ranked as the No. 1 persecutor of Christians eight years in row on Open Doors’ World Watch List.

North Koreans bow before the statue of Kim Il-Sung

Dr. Carl Moeller, President/CEO of Open Doors USA, says North Korea certainly deserves its “shame” ranking.

In an interview at the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) Convention last week, Moeller told me: “North Korea is in a category all by itself. It’s sad that in America some see North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il more as a comic figure than the truly diabolical human being that he is. Some laugh at his jumpsuit, his haircut and his paranoid delusions of grandeur. But, in fact, he is absolutely a horrific tyrant to the Christians in North Korea.

“We recognize North Korea as the worst place on earth to be a Christian primarily because there are between 40,000 to 60,000 Christians that are in labor camps right now simply because of their faith in Jesus Christ. It's really the world's largest prison.

“All of its citizens, but especially Christians, are denied any opportunity to practice their belief. If they are caught, a labor camp awaits them. But not only them. If they have children or grandparents, they can be thrown into a labor camp as well.”

Brother John, who supervises Open Doors’ work in North Korea, says that the country is “one big façade…a theatrical spectacle, especially for Western tourists, who are easily misled.”

He continues: “Some, however, pay good attention and from them I hear that when traveling the country they see certain people spying on them. When visiting a store, ‘customers’ are picked from the streets.

“On Sundays, people row in the river in Pyongyang, but boats are tied to the shore and the people have no rowing technique whatsoever. Most people believe in the leadership of the country. They are like gods to them. They have to bow down to their statues. The leaders are worshipped everywhere.

Brother John went on to say: “It feels like North Korea is covered in a thick spiritual layer of fog. Inside North Korea there is a depressive atmosphere.

“Still, there are Christians in this country. They have the same Father as us. What is very encouraging for them is that we pray for them. We have informed North Korean Christians about our prayer campaigns in countries like the Netherlands, the United States and France.”
 

Carl Moeller pictured during the interview with Dan Wooding (Photo: Peter Wooding)

I shared with Moeller that having been one of the few journalists to ever report from North Korea, what has occurred in North Korea should be a warning to Christians around the world.

“Before the Second World War, Pyongyang, the capital city, was known as the ‘Jerusalem of the Far East,’” I told the Open Doors USA leader. “Billy Graham's late wife Ruth even went to school there. I found it a very spooky place.

Moeller, who has also visited North Korea, agreed and said: “I felt a spiritual force of oppression over the entire country. I stood literally in the spot where the Presbyterian Church stood in 1907 when a great revival broke out.

“What was remarkable was that it is now part of Kim Jong-Il and Kim Il-Sung Square; it's the Red Square equivalent in Pyongyang. I stood in the square and prayed for the people of North Korea.

“I have never been more exhausted than after that trip -- and I travel a lot. I came away from three days in Pyongyang spiritually exhausted. The spiritual warfare that's raging over that country is profound.

“The persecuted believers in North Korea have asked us to pray for them. Prayer is the spiritual missile we can send in to liberate that country. They’re asking for prayer for revival in the country and for freedom to come to that peninsula.”

Moeller also revealed that he is hosting the pilot for a possible new TV documentary series called “Undercover with Persecuted Christians.” The pilot will debut on Christian television this year.

What kind of life has this North Korean woman had?

“In the program, we plan to go into the countries where many of the Christians must keep their faith undercover,” he said. “They include some of the places where Open Doors has been working with persecuted Christians.

“In the series I plan to meet with them in the places that they meet in secret and then let them tell their stories. Without revealing the operational details of the ministry Open Doors is doing in those countries, we will be able to bring high quality HD TV in 30-minute segments.

“We have had tremendous response to the pilot from the broadcasters at NRB because they're looking for something fresh. I guess I would put it this way, if you are familiar with the way the BBC handles stories or the way CNN does stories -- not talking heads or preaching -- but literally bringing a hand-held camera into places where they meet and letting them speak; that’s our plan. It's a tremendous tool for us to tell the world about the suffering of Christians around the world.”

I asked if this wasn’t dangerous for the believers, and Moeller replied: “Obviously their security is our No. 1 concern. We have just finished one program that we did with Iraqi refugees which was filmed in a neighboring country. Several of them said it was no problem for us to show their face. However, several, including some of the pastors, required that we mask their identities. It's very important to remember that our primary consideration at Open Doors has never been to have any agenda for the persecuted church, but simply to listen and ask what their needs are and then respond.

“For instance, when these Iraqi refugees told us their stories, they were so passionate. It was so heartbreaking when they shared how much they had suffered. And how they are praying that the average American would know that the Christians in Iraq are literally facing extinction. They want us to tell their story. So with this pilot documentary we're just doing what they're asking.

“I believe now is the time to have people in the West listen to the stories of persecuted Christians so that Christians will be inspired by their faith, be better informed of their situation and unite in prayer and advocacy for them.”

Note: An estimated 100 million Christians worldwide suffer interrogation, arrest and even death for their faith in Christ, with millions more facing discrimination and alienation. Open Doors supports and strengthens believers in the world's most difficult areas through Bible and Christian literature distribution, leadership training and assistance, Christian community development, prayer and presence ministry and advocacy on behalf of suffering believers. To partner with Open Doors USA, call toll free at 888-5-BIBLE-5 (888-524-2535) or go to their website at www.OpenDoorsUSA.org.

(For more information or to set up an interview with Dr. Moeller, contact Jerry Dykstra at 616-915-4117 or email jerryd@odusa.org).

Note: I would like to thank Robin Frost for transcribing this interview with Dr. Moeller.

Dan Wooding, 69, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 46 years. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS). He was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC., and now hosts the weekly “Front Page Radio” show on KWVE in Southern California and which is also carried on the Calvary Radio Network throughout the United States. The program is also aired in Great Britain on Calvary Chapel Radio UK. Wooding also a regular contributor to The Weekend Stand on the Crawford Broadcasting Network, and a host for His Channel Live, which is carried via the Internet to some 192 countries. He is the author of some 43 books. Two of the latest include his autobiography, “From Tabloid to Truth”, which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, press this link. Wooding, who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, also recently released “God’s Ambassadors in Japan” which is available at amazon.com.