I first become aware of the North Korean refugee situation after viewing the documentary, Seoul Train, at Busboys and Poets over a year ago. Since then, I have become increasingly involved and educated on this situation. It is truly an international tragedy that demands attention, pressure, prayer, and action.
North Korea has been called the “hermit country,” for the way it has closed itself off to outside forces. Some refer to the country as a giant prison camp. The population has long been organized into abritrary classes based on their perceived support of the North Korean regime. In return, the higher classes receive more benefits, food, and money, while the lower classes must work in government controlled farms and factories for little compensation under squalid conditions. In the past two decades, natural disasters and an unhealthy priority on the military have left millions to starve, despite international aid. The aid itself was diverted and controlled by North Korean authorities, defying humanitarian efforts.
The fact that millions have died, when the government had the ability to prevent these deaths, leads on to the conclusion that there is a genocide going on in the poor and lower classes of North Korea.
Luckily, some refugees have escaped these terrible conditions, fleeing into China to seek a better life. However, Chinese authorities continue to hunt down and repatriate these refugees. Once returned to North Korea, they are convicted and face torture, prison, or death. Efforts have been underway to offer an underground railroad to help these refugees find freedom in a country that is eager to take them. This is dangerous work, but it is entirely engineered and supported by people of faith who dare risk their lives so that others might live.
Starting on April 22nd, a series of events in the Washington DC area will focus on these issues. In particular, I invite you to Ebenezer’s Coffeehouse near Union Station to see images, artifacts, and words from many North Korean refugees and what they experienced in their attempt to find a better life. Flyers are linked below.
North Korean Genocide Exhibit (KO)
North Korean Genocide Exhibit
