Expanding Community Classes to Seoul in 2024 - Elim Community

Growing in Size and Spirit

In November, two staff members, Jacob and Dan, went to visit our operations in South Korea. They participated in an English class at Elim Community. It was different from the class that Dan or Jacob taught earlier in the year. The atmosphere was lighter. People were having a great time and laughing with each other. When the instructor asked the group questions, they responded enthusiastically. They were having fun.

At dinner after the class, one of the refugees told us that, for refugees who work full time, leaving the stress of work and coming to the Elim Community class to share that time together and laugh was a great stress reliever. Furthermore, for those at home all day, not having anyone to talk to, coming to class to dialogue together, laugh together and then eat together is also a great way to be in a community that understands this great need.

Life for anyone living in South Korea can be lonely. It is common for an office worker to be at work 60 to 80 hours per week. Apartments are usually small, designed for sleeping and eating and not much else. North Koreans also feel a sense of disconnectedness in their new country. Though they have earned a hard-fought freedom, refugees say that there is little sense of community. One refugee who attends our English class said to us that strangers talk to each other in North Korea. He recalled frequently riding an overnight train and meeting people who eventually became lifelong friends. This simply doesn’t happen that often in the South.

North Koreans need a space where they can gather without judgment. Elim Community English classes have been designed to teach practical English skills in this safe community environment.

Later, in December, as the semester ended, we wanted to celebrate with an end-of-year party where we recognized our students for good attendance and scholarship. The attendees got dressed up, ate good food and played games. Most importantly, they became an even tighter-knit community. While dressing up and attending a Christmast party may not be uncommon to most folks, this event was a gift to most of the refugees. Our English teacher said the one thing she would change for next year’s party is to bring a megaphone. People were laughing so hard that it was hard to get their attention.

SEOUL

With the strength of this community built around Elim Community classes in Incheon, we felt confident in expanding our community classes for North Korean refugees into Seoul, South Korea’s capital and largest city, where most North Koreans in South Korea live. We are partnering with another regional Hana Center in Seoul, the South Korean government’s resettlement agency dedicated to helping North Koreans. Classes in Seoul launched this January and we look forward to sharing more with you in the coming months.

“She smiled and said how great it was to be able to eat together with people like this that evening.”

At dinner with students after an English class in Seoul, one of the North Korean women shared that she had defected from North Korea alone, tried to get married and make friends in South Korea, but ultimately failed and ended up living alone. She smiled and said how great it was to be able to eat together with people like this that evening. One of our newer staff members expressed how she felt more deeply with each passing class how much joy this small event brings to the North Koreans in attendance.

Our prayer is that our Incheon and Seoul classes reach those who need community and the hope of Jesus the most!

Kim Ju-ae: North Korea’s Next Leader?

Kim Ju Ae attends a banquet in North Korea. (Source: Korean Central News Agency [KCNA])

Around 200 shells were fired into the maritime buffer zone near South Korea’s Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong islands from Pyongyang. South Korea’s military responded by carrying out a maritime shooting exercise the same day, further escalating tensions between the two Koreas. Yeonpyeong residents, who have sadly grown accustomed to hostilities between the two sides, were ordered to evacuate and “refrain from doing outdoor activities” ahead of the exercise. 

Analysts have interestingly pointed out that the North’s provocation came shortly after their leader, Kim Jong-un, and his daughter were seen in matching jackets while touring a transporter erector launcher (integrated vehicles designed to transport, erect and launch missiles) factory, where he called for a “dynamic drive for increased production” of the weapons. Since Kim’s daughter, Kim Ju-ae, made her first public appearance in November 2022, her recent attendance at the country’s major military event has sparked new speculations that she may rise to become her father’s successor.

NORTH KOREA’S LIKELY HEIR

According to South Korea’s spy agency, the National Intelligence Service, the 10-year-old Ju-ae is seen as her father’s likely heir apparent. In addition to being called Kim Jong-un’s “most beloved” or “respected” child, photos and footage showing her accompanying Kim at public activities prove her rising political standing and closeness with her father as analysts speculate that Ju-ae is receiving training to take the reins of the hermit kingdom.

Apart from taking his daughter to events that concern national interests, heartwarming photos showed an affectionate Kim, a dictator of the world’s most reclusive country, kissing Ju-ae on the cheek during a New Year’s Eve celebration at Pyongyang stadium. Kim was also seen touring Kwangchon Chicken Farm, the newly opened “model” chicken farm in DPRK, alongside Ju-ae during his 40th birthday celebrations. Although these moments are no novelty to any regular father-daughter relationships, these scenes are something that had been unimaginable in North Korea as their leader is treated like a God by the nation.

HOW MUCH LONGER WILL KIM JONG-UN CONTINUE TO REIN?

Ju-ae is believed to have an older brother and a younger sibling whose gender has not been made public, thus it would be premature to view Ju-ae as an apparent heir at this stage. Since the founding of the DPRK in 1948, the country has been successively and exclusively ruled by male-only members of the Kim family, which falls in line with North Korea’s Confucianism-influenced, patriarchal society. For instance, Kim Jong-un succeeded his father, Kim Jong-il, upon the latter’s death in late 2011, while Kim Jong-il inherited power upon his father, the state founder Kim Il-sung’s, death in 1994. Therefore, it has been suggested that the young girl’s repeated appearances were more likely a façade carefully designed by the regime to shore up public support for the ruling family and Kim’s plan to hand over his power to one of his children in the future.

Nevertheless, analyst Cheong Seong-chang of the Sejong Institute in South Korea opined that Kim’s health conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, elevated cholesterol and other heavy smoking-related illnesses, appear so serious that “it won’t be surprising even if he collapses tomorrow.” Kim was also rumored to be suffering from insomnia and alcohol and nicotine dependency. In light of speculations that Kim would likely be receiving cortisone injections in his neck to relieve pressure for an unknown nerve or muscular condition, as well as treatments for a long list of other unreported health problems, Cheong commented that Kim likely believes his daughter has the capacity to succeed him as North Korea’s next leader, and added that, “By accompanying her father on major events, she’s like learning kingship and building a human network at a tender age.”

Top Headlines from North Korea - January 2024

NORTH KOREANS SUFFER IN FREEZING WINTER

• Due to firewood shortage, North Korean residents have difficulty heating their homes and staying warm this winter.

• North Koreans usually prepare kindling or charcoal briquettes in autumn, but a source in North Hamgyong Province said that most people were unable to purchase enough due to the high price of firewood.

• The price of firewood climbed from KPW 2,000 in mid-November to KPW 3,000 in December, a 50 percent increase.

• With temperatures dropping to as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius, many families live “hellish lives” in the cold while experiencing ongoing food shortages.

• A source told DailyNK that “Children inevitably come down with colds because they have weakened immunity from malnutrition, and [their parents] can’t even heat their homes in the cold. Parents feel terrible because they can’t buy a single tablet of medicine, even when their kids come down with serious colds.”

• According to another source from Hyesan, people began stealing anything that will burn, including the plywood gates of private homes, due to economic difficulties. There were several cases where thieves were caught and beaten to death.

Source:
https://www.dailynk.com/english/many-n-koreans-cant-heat-homes-due-to-firewood-shortage/
https://www.dailynk.com/english/people-facing-bitter-cold-hyesan-steal-anything-burns-keep-warm/ 

A North Korean missile launch. (Image: KCNA)

NORTH KOREA LAUNCHED HYPERSONIC MISSILE IN 2024

• According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, North Korea fired a suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile into the waters off the east coast of the Korean peninsula.

• The hypersonic missile flew about 1,000 kilometers (around 600 miles) at a maximum altitude of at least 50 kilometers (around 30 miles) before landing in the sea.

• If North Korea is able to successfully deploy a hypersonic weapon, analysts say it could change the military equation in the region.

• The North has ramped up its provocative missile tests after declaring its southern neighbor as the “principal enemy,” adding that the Koreas will never reunite while vowing to enhance its ability to deliver a nuclear strike on the U.S. and its allies in the Pacific.

• Following the launch, South Korea, the U.S. and Japan began working together to analyze further details of the missile, with the South Korean military maintaining “full readiness posture.”

Source:
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/01/14/asia/north-korea-ballistic-missile-intl-hnk/index.html
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/north-korea-fires-missile-south-korea-says-2024-01-14/ 

LOW-KEY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS FOR KIM JONG-UN

• Unlike his predecessors, whose birthdays were marked by national celebrations during their time in power, the current North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has never officially revealed his birth date.

• However, Kim’s birthday has been suggested to be January 8, ever since the U.S. basketball player, Dennis Rodman, sang happy birthday to him in front of a large crowd in Pyongyang on the same date six years ago.

• Kim is speculated to have turned 40 this year, but unlike previous years where large funds were raised to give away candies to children ahead of the leader’s birthday, North Korea has significantly lowered both the quantity and quality of candies this year.

• The government also limited confectionery gifts to children aged 6 or younger.

Source:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-67920529
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/candy-01042024180758.html 

NORTH KOREA SENDS MISSILES TO RUSSIA TO ‘TEST’ ON UKRAINE

• According to the South Korean defense minister, North Korea is looking to send Russia new types of tactical guided missiles.

• This cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow is condemned by the U.S. and its allies, describing Ukraine as a test site for the North’s nuclear-capable missiles as the country gains “valuable technical and military insights” about its arms.

• South Korean envoy, Hwang Joon-kook, said that “the missiles fired into Ukraine are KN-23s, which the DPRK claims can deliver nuclear warheads.” Hwang added that one missile flew 460 kilometers (around 285 miles), which is the distance from a North Korean launch site to South Korea’s city of Busan. 

• Meanwhile, Kim Jong-un’s regime appears to be planning for a trial of atmospheric reentry of a warhead designed to be carried by an intercontinental ballistic missile to the U.S. mainland. In other words, North Korea would be firing a long-range rocket over several thousand kilometers.

Source:
https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3247996/ukraine-test-site-north-korean-missiles-seoul-tells-un 
https://news.yahoo.com/north-korea-set-send-class-011041749.html

South Koreans Told to Stay Out of North Korean Restaurants

As Korean food has become more popular around the world with the rise in popularity in K-pop and K-drama, Pyongyang has also taken advantage of the K-trend and actively opened state-run restaurants across Asia, the Middle East and Europe as a stable source of foreign income despite United Nations sanctions banning North Koreans from working overseas. Visiting a North Korean restaurant offers a rare glimpse into the reclusive nation’s culture, which is especially attractive to South Koreans who are typically not granted permission for regular tourism to the North.

However, in a recent statement issued by the South Korean embassy in Beijing, Republic of Korea (ROK) nationals were told to refrain from visiting North Korean (DPRK) run restaurants in China for “personal safety” reasons. The announcement warned South Korean visitors that the restaurants may “forcibly expel them from the premises upon identification,” resulting in “friction” between guests and the North Korean staff.

PAYING FOR FOOD OR FUNDING A NUCLEAR PROGRAM?

In the past, South Koreans had been warned against visiting North Korean restaurants for a very different reason. As a country that heavily relies on foreign income to fund its weapons programs, North Korea opened approximately 130 restaurants in 12 countries under the “Pyongyang” brand name to attract diners, who inadvertently supply hard currency to the regime. For instance, it was reported that the first North Korean restaurant opened in Beijing in 2003 made more than 7 million won (around $5,329 USD) a day in revenue, which is equivalent to $8,824 USD today.

North Korean restaurants are known for the range of entertainment offered by their staff beyond any regular dining experience. Diners enjoy nightly shows featuring singing, dancing and photo opportunities. Performers not only sing their country’s folk and pop songs, but also South Korean and American pop songs like the “Titanic” theme. In 2010, one of the North Korean waitresses in Cambodia even rose to fame for her beauty after a picture of her was posted on the internet. The attraction of North Korean restaurants has always been strong, as a South Korean Daewoo employee explained, “I’d say those restaurants have attracted South Koreans because they offer a window on the world’s most secretive state that I may not be able to visit before the two Koreas are united.” Our executive director, Dan Chung, shared his experiences at these restaurants in episode 1 of our podcast, “The Demystified Zone.” 

NORTH KOREAN RESTAURANTS IN CHINA REFUSE TO SERVE SOUTH KOREAN DINERS

According to the Chosun Ilbo, restrictions on South Koreans visiting North Korean restaurants were introduced by the North Korean embassy in China in 2023. There had been reports back in March and October 2023 indicating that ROK nationals were turned away from DPRK restaurants in Beijing and Dandong respectively. Other forms of hostility were also seen in other parts of China, with a North Korean worker in Shenyang saying, “We hate them!” and adding that “If you bring a South Korean friend, we will not accept them… and won’t serve them.” However, rules regarding this restriction appeared to be applied inconsistently, as no such issue was reported at eateries in Shanghai and Changchun.

Outside China, Yonhap News Agency reported that South Korean diners were politely, but affirmatively, denied service at a North Korean restaurant in Moscow. When asked why the staff were rejecting Koreans, the waitress simply told the South Korean group that there were “new regulations” in place. The incident came days before the summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Russian Far East, thus many believed it was a move to strengthen diplomatic ties between the two countries, especially since the timing of the restriction coincided with a defection earlier in June, where a North Korean restaurant manager was caught escaping from the North Korean consulate in the Russian city of Vladivostok.

In any case, South Korea’s recent statement reflects the current deteriorating diplomatic state between the two Koreas, and at a time of strained relations, even “minor incidents may escalate into major problems,” as described by Choi Eun-joo, a research fellow at the Center for Korean Peninsula Strategy at the Sejong Institute. It has also been suggested that the statement might encourage other ROK embassies in countries that run North Korean restaurants, including Russia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand, to follow suit, thereby further escalating the increasing inter-Korean tension.

North Korea No Longer Interested in Reunification with South Korea

Kim Jong-un at the December 2023 plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea. (Image: KCNA))

During a year-end party meeting, North Korea’s leader warned the nation to prepare for further economic hardships in 2024 and gave orders to accelerate war preparations against the U.S. Kim Jong-un encouraged his people to wage a “more courageous and resolute struggle despite the ever-increasing challenges and difficulties” in the new year. In light of upcoming general elections in the U.S. and South Korea, it is speculated that the North will likely carry out “military provocations or cyber attacks” as the two countries channel their time and energy into fighting internal political battles. 

According to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, Pyongyang has historically carried out a series of provocations ahead of important political events, including conducting a fourth nuclear test and launching a long-range missile mere months before the South Korean parliamentary election in April 2016.

KIM JONG-UN'S NEW ORDERS

Addressing 2023 as “a year of great turning point” for North Korea that “has left a great trace in the glorious path of development to improve national power and increase the prestige of the country,” Kim praised the nation’s progress in the development of new strategic weapons. Kim highlighted his kingdom’s possession of “space reconnaissance means” after the first military spy satellite was launched and also declared that Pyongyang has institutionalized the path to developing a nuclear arsenal following its constitutional amendment passed in September 2023. Despite receiving criticisms from the U.S. and its allies, the North reiterated that its military reconnaissance satellite launch is a sovereign right that should not be restrained by outside forces.

Kim further pledged to expand strategic cooperation with “anti-imperialist independent’ countries, such as Russia, as Washington has been accusing Pyongyang of supplying military equipment to Moscow in support of its war with Ukraine and in exchange of Russia providing technical support to advance the North’s military capabilities. The revival of their partnership was sparked by the summit between Kim and Russian President, Vladimir Putin, on September 13, 2023. Considering North Korea’s social isolation and economic hardship caused by international sanctions imposed by the U.S. and United Nations, Moscow’s support in what is believed to include cash, energy and weapons technologies transfers would be vital to Pyongyang’s survival. North Korea has suffered serious food shortages in recent decades as a result of natural disasters. Experts have also warned that border closures during the pandemic worsened food security.

SOUTH KOREA RECIPROCATES WAR PREPARATIONS

Recently, military drills were carried out in South Korea shortly after Seoul imposed new sanctions on eight North Koreans linked to nuclear and missile programs through arms trade, cyberattacks and other illicit activities. More than 1,000 South Korean military personnel took part in rare defense drills that simulated an attack by North Korea on Seoul, which is situated in striking distance of Pyongyang’s weapons and covert attack of just 38 km (24 miles). The drills mimicked attacks on the South’s major water supply facility, telephone network stations and an underground communications and power cable corridor.

The exercise is believed to be a response to the heightened tension between the Koreas after the North tested an intercontinental ballistic missile. The drills also came at a time when more than 1,200 people were killed in a recent attack in Israel, as Seoul’s mayor, Oh Se-hoon, described that “There was a big lesson for us when Israel’s world-class advanced defense system helplessly buckled under a surprise attack by Hamas armed with conventional artillery and primitive means.” Although there has been no direct attack on the South by the North since the end of the Korean War in 1953, Oh has openly voiced out his opinion that South Korea should possess its own nuclear weapons in order to neutralize the threat from its northern neighbor. Nevertheless, South Korean President, Yoon Suk-yeol, ruled out the possibility of owning nuclear weapons, and instead emphasized on fostering a military alliance with the U.S. and restoring security ties with Japan.

Kim Jong-un went as far as declaring that reunification between the two Koreas was “impossible” as he closed out 2023 during the annual end-of-year meeting of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are expected to escalate in 2024 as the two countries are no longer bound by the 2018 military agreement that halted military activities near the inter-Korean borders.

Top Headlines from North Korea - December 2023

KIM JONG-UN IN TEARS AS HE CALLED ON WOMEN TO HAVE MORE CHILDREN

• North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, urged women to have more children to strengthen national power at the National Mothers Meeting.  The leader was moved to tears as he expressed gratitude to mothers in North Korea to boost national morale, “I too always think about mothers when I have a hard time dealing with the party and the state’s work.”

• South Korea’s government estimates that the North’s fertility rate has declined steadily for the past 10 years, following its first decline after the mid-1990s famine.

• According to the United Nations Population Fund, North Korea’s fertility rate stands at 1.8 births per woman as of 2023, which is below the 2.1 replacement rate benchmark in developed countries.

• “Many families in North Korea also don’t intend to have more than one child these days as they know they need lots of money to raise their kids, send them to school and help them get jobs,” observed Ahn Kyung-su, head of DPRKHEALTH.ORG, a website focusing on health issues in North Korea.

• As a country that is heavily dependent on physical labor to keep its heavily sanctioned economy afloat, the decrease in fertility is a concerning development for the nation.

Source:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/north-koreas-kim-jong-un-urges-women-to-have-more-children/ar-AA1kYqLC
https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3243808/north-koreas-kim-jong-un-says-it-duty-women-have-more-children-halt-falling-birth-rate

NORTH KOREAN DEFECTORS ‘VANISHED’ AFTER REPATRIATION FROM CHINA

• It was reported that up to 600 North Korean defectors, believed to be mostly women, deported by China in October 2023 during the mass repatriation have disappeared.

• Transitional Justice Working Group, a Seoul-based human rights group, said that the group may face imprisonment in concentration camps, torture, sexual and gender-based violence, forced abortions and execution after returning to the North as they are labelled as “criminals” and “traitors” by the state.

• Although North Korean state media has not reported on this issue, its leader, Kim Jong-un, has maintained his stance that defectors are “human scum.”

• Kim Kyu, whose sister was one of the repatriated defectors, told reporters that “My sister’s only crime was being born in North Korea… All I want is for her to live in safety.”

• The rights group identified the deportees as prisoners held at Shenyang Prison and Chanchun Tiebei Prison, and noted that over 300 had crossed at the Onsong crossing point on October 9, while 180 crossed at Dandong around the same time.

Source:
https://www.msn.com/en-xl/news/other/concern-for-north-koreans-deported-from-china/ar-AA1lbcbk
https://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/other/up-to-600-north-korean-defectors-deported-by-china-vanish-says-rights-group/ar-AA1l83vq 
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/24948673/north-korean-defectors-vanish-china-secret-border-crossings/ 

NORTH KOREAN HACKERS STOLE INFORMATION ON SOUTH KOREAN DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY

• The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency accused a North Korean hacker group, Andariel, of stealing 1.2TB worth of sensitive defense data from 14 South Korean entities, including information on advanced anti-aircraft weapons.

• According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Andariel is listed as a state-sponsored hacking group that focuses on conducting malicious cyber operations on foreign businesses, government agencies and the defense industry.

• The police revealed that a proxy server set up by the group was accessed in a Pyongyang district 83 times between December 2022 and March 2023.

• The North Korean hackers also extorted a total of 470 million won (around $357,000 USD) in bitcoin from three domestic and foreign companies as ransom.

Source:
https://news.yahoo.com/north-korea-hackers-may-stolen-085644637.html?
https://www.healthcareinfosecurity.com/north-korean-hackers-steal-south-korean-anti-aircraft-data-a-23779 

NORTH KOREA CALLS U.S. SUPPORT FOR SOUTH KOREA’S SATELLITE LAUNCH ‘DOUBLE STANDARD’

• Pyongyang’s space agency, National Aerospace Technology Administration (“NATA”), accused the U.S. of perpetuating “illegal double standards” by supporting South Korea’s satellite launch on December 1.

• South Korea launched its first spy satellite via SpaceX’s Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

• Seoul blamed Pyongyang for escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula after the latter announced that it had successfully launched its first reconnaissance satellite into space to spy on the South and the U.S. on November 21.

• NATA issued a statement claiming it is “as clear as noonday” that South Korea plans to use its satellite for military purposes.

Source:
https://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/274058303/south-korea-launches-first-spy-satellite-after-rival-north-korea
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/north-korea-decries-uss-double-standards-as-south-launches-spy-satellite/ar-AA1l9v7i
https://www.yahoo.com/news/north-korea-decries-us-support-161810266.html

Bed Bug Infestation Hits South Korea, North Korea Calls It A Norm

Bed bugs are the last guests one wishes to bring home from vacation. Following a surge in bed bug infestations in South Korea, the government set in motion a four-week campaign to rid the nation of the pest. With reported cases traced to tourist hotels and public saunas in Incheon, the Seoul metropolitan government launched a new “bed bug Reporting and Management System” and a “Zero bed bug City, Seoul'' initiative to conduct widespread inspections of more than 3,000 public baths, saunas and hotels. In light of the upcoming holiday travel season, ongoing efforts to eradicate bed bugs in popular travel destinations like Seoul are fueling fresh anxieties among the public.

In stark contrast, and though unwelcomed, bed bugs are common problems in ordinary homes and detention facilities in North Korea. Local residents suggest that they are used to co-existing with bed bugs, as “Even if you apply bed bug pesticide in every corner of the house, it’s only a temporary fix, and they’ll reappear after a few days. It’s hard to wipe them out completely,” a source told DailyNK. This simple call to action by the South Korean government highlights the contrast in living conditions between the North and the South.

NORTH KOREANS CO-EXIST WITH BED BUGS

Since bed bugs are known to infest larch trees, which North Korean households often use to make blanket closets and cupboards, they can be found in nearly every home in rural communities. According to DailyNK’s source, bed bugs can easily be spotted climbing walls in rural homes. The source added that in many parts of North Korea, including Hoeryong and other areas in North Hamgyong province, “bed bugs have become chronic,” though “Still, some people can’t sleep at night because of the bed bugs, and they suffer from redness and itchiness where they’ve been bitten.”

Apart from residential homes, detention centers in Hoeryong are also reportedly infested with bed bugs. “In forced labor camps, inmates must work from when they open their eyes in the morning to night, and even when they can shut their eyes at night, they suffer from bed bugs. The inmates have no choice but to put up with it until the end of their sentences because if they ask for measures to be taken, the only thing they’ll get in return is a beating.” Considering how the North Korean authorities would not implement any quarantine or extermination measures to address the bed bug problem affecting ordinary people, “nobody is going to listen to people who’ve been sent to forced labor camps for crimes. Even if the camps are swarming with bed bugs, the authorities don’t care or do anything to help.”

INHUMANE TREATMENT OF NORTH KOREAN PRISONERS

As torturous as routinely living with bed bugs may seem, prisoners in North Korea face far harsher challenges. According to former detainees, North Korean detention centers are commonplace for human rights violations, including extrajudicial executions, rape, forced abortions, jail without trial, torture and starvation rations that leave prisoners so hungry some turn to eating insects.

Korea Future, a non-profit organization documenting human rights violations in the DPRK penal system, found that “even 10 years after the UN established a Commission of Inquiry there still is systematic and widespread human rights violations.” According to a report published by the human rights group, the purpose of North Korea’s penal system is neither to detain and rehabilitate criminals, nor to decrease recidivism and increase public safety, but to “isolate persons from society whose behavior conflicts with upholding the singular authority of the Supreme Leader, Kim Jong Un.” The report also described witness testimonies concerning abuses that were personally carried out by North Korean officials, including abortions performed on seven or eight month-pregnant detainees, starvation diets imposed on malnourished detainees that consist of as little as 80 grams of corn a day and forcing detainees to hold stress positions for up to 17 hours a day for 30 days.

Moreover, Korea Future investigators and the United Nations claim that many inmates in North Korea become so dehumanized by the constant abuse that they begin to feel they deserve the cruel treatments. One former inmate told CNN that “When we raise rabbits, we keep them in dens with fences and give them food. (In jail), it was like we were the rabbits, kept in a cell and given food from behind bars … we were not treated as humans, but as some kind of animal … We should not move in the cell and we had to sit with our hands on our sides and as we were not supposed to look up we had to look down. We were not supposed to talk, so all you hear is people’s breathing sound.” Korea Future’s report further commented that detainees were reshaped and re-educated through “forced labour, ideological instruction and punitive brutality with the purpose of compelling unquestioning obedience and loyalty to the Supreme Leader,” and as a result, many did not realize they were being subjected to torture as they did not even have the concept of torture.

Many North Korean refugees we’ve helped can personally attest to this inhumanity. Yet, there have been very few mentions of the irritation of bed bugs, which appear to be commonplace in North Korea and speaks to the severity of suffering most refugees have seen in their lives.

North Koreans Seeking Freedom Killed by Landmines

New Landmines Killing North Korean Defectors

Five North Koreans from North Hamgyong Province were injured or killed by landmines while recently attempting to cross the Tumen River into China. The group of would-be-defectors reportedly divided into two groups since defecting as a large group would be more dangerous. This tragic accident happened only a month after three people were similarly killed by a landmine during a defection attempt near Musan, reflecting how “people tried to cross despite being aware of the land mines in the area. That’s how desperate they were to get across the river.” As economic conditions worsen in the North, a source told DailyNK that some people were not defecting, but trying to “make some money in China. But as they were crossing the river in the hope of making a living, they were blown to bits, and now they won’t even get a funeral.”

The China-North Korea border is known to be home to many landmines. Narrow sections of the river where defection attempts are more common often have higher concentrations of landmines, including old landmines that have been buried for some time and often fail to explode even when stepped on. The recent casualties, therefore, indicate that North Korean authorities have been placing new landmines near the crossing with China since August to keep people from defecting.

LANDMINES AND RELATIONS WITH THE SOUTH

More than a million landmines were buried in North Korea’s border areas since the Korean War, and it is a known fact that civilians and soldiers have been killed or injured by them. Landmine attacks have been a longstanding trigger that caused strain to inter-Korean relations. For instance, in 2015, South Korea’s Defense Ministry accused the North of crossing the demilitarized zone and planting landmines that maimed two South Korean soldiers. The South condemned the North for escalating pre-existing tensions and even resumed some anti-Pyongyang broadcasts over loudspeakers near the border for the first time in more than 10 years.

The two Koreas’ relations significantly improved, however, during President Moon Jae-in’s tenure, which was interestingly reflected by the removal of landmines in the Joint Security Area (“JSA”) in Panmunjom in 2018. This move was in response to a pact made at a summit in Pyongyang, where Kim Jong-un and President Moon agreed to reduce tension and build trust on the divided peninsula. The deal also provided for the removal of guard posts and weapons following the removal of landmines, with stationed troops remaining at the JSA to be left unarmed.

NEW OBSTACLES IN JOURNEY TO FREEDOM

During the pandemic, North Korean soldiers were seen meticulously laying landmines near the 800-mile-long Sino-Korean border to stop defection, trade, and North Koreans from seeking work in China. Dozens of soldiers were reportedly injured while performing their duties. As a military source told Radio Free Asia, some soldiers were injured in their eyes, legs or back while deploying the “latest type” of mines with a kill radius of 10 feet (3 to 3.5 meters) a mere 65 yards from the border. The explosions reportedly stemmed from a lack of training provided to the soldiers, as the authorities were “simply telling them to begin work immediately.” This move shocked many Chinese residents as well as North Koreans in the border regions, as “This is the first time in the history of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea that landmines are being placed at the border with China instead of in the front-line area where we must confront our enemies,” described a North Hamgyong resident.

In addition to the increased number of landmines tactically placed along the main defection routes, tens of thousands of security cameras were also installed in the border areas to monitor potential defectors in recent years. North Korean authorities further planned to demolish all structures within 200 meters along the border with China, specifically targeting Ryanggang Province which has served as a major defection route, which analysts believe is aimed at intensifying border crackdowns to prevent defections, smuggling and a growing influx of information from the outside world.

The Chinese authorities have also tightened their border security since September this year. However, the dire economy in North Korea is expected to force its hungry citizens to continue defecting at all costs. As a source described to DailyNK, “Why else would people in good health risk their lives to leave North Korea? If they had the cash to start a business, they could make some kind of living. But they don’t have anything, so they try to cross the border while knowing they’re taking lives in their hands.”

Top Headlines from North Korea - November 2023

NORTH KOREA CLOSES EMBASSIES AROUND THE WORLD

• North Korea is shutting down more than a dozen embassies around the world, about a quarter of Pyongyang’s missions worldwide.

• Kim Jong-un has approved withdrawal from Nepal, Spain, Angola, Uganda and Hong Kong in recent months.

• Defectors who were former diplomats claimed that North Korean embassies are largely funded by illegal activity and illicit money-making projects. 

• Analysts explained that the North’s recent closing of its diplomatic missions is a sign that the hermit kingdom is struggling to make money overseas due to international sanctions.

• Meanwhile, the regime appears to be shifting its efforts into building relations with its allies, Russia and China.

Source:
https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/11/09/north-korea-is-shutting-embassies
https://www.foxnews.com/world/north-korea-closing-embassies-world-suspected-financial-crisis

NORTH KOREA CREATES NEW HOLIDAY

• North Korea has recently established a new holiday, marking November 18 as the “Missile Industry Day” to commemorate its successful test launch of its Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile in 2022.

• The Hwasong-17 is one of the North’s most powerful weapons to date (estimated to deliver a nuclear bomb and potentially multiple warheads for more than 15,000 kilometers).

• Some experts speculate that the regime may have an ulterior motive for designating November 18 as their new holiday – to boost the image of Kim Ju-ae, the potential successor of Kim Jong-un.

• According to Cheong Seong-chang of a think tank, Sejong Institute, “given that the Hwasong-17 is neither the first nor the latest ICBM of North Korea, the decision makes little sense,” but “On that day, Kim Ju-ae made her first public appearance with her father at the test site for the Hwasong-17 ICBM,” so “North Korea chose that particular date mainly because its real aim is to boost her presence and build up her image as the next leader.”

Source:
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/11/19/asia-pacific/politics/north-korea-missile-holiday-kim-jong-un-absence/
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2023/11/103_362666.html 

DMZ TOURS TO RESUME AFTER U.S. SOLDIER CROSSING

• South Korea announced that some special tours to the Joint Security Area at the inter-Korean border will restart for selected guests after they have been suspended for four months.

• Tours to the Demilitarized Zone (“DMZ”), which have been popular among foreign tourists, were halted after a U.S. soldier’s attempted defection in July.  He was later returned by the North to the U.S. where he faced charges.

• From November 22, tours for people with ties to South Korea’s Unification Ministry will take place three times a day, four times a week, though tours for the general public remain suspended.

• In the past, DMZ tours were offered six times a day, four times a week.

• Officials commented that the Panmunjom Tourist Support Center receives around 20 daily calls inquiring when the tours will resume.

Source:
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/south-korea-says-some-dmz-tours-resume-after-us-soldier-crossing-2023-11-21/
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2023-11-21/national/northKorea/Special-tours-to-iconic-JSA-set-to-resume-after-fourmonth-suspension/1917923 

NORTH KOREA TELLS JAPAN ITS PLANS TO LAUNCH SPY SATELLITE

• North Korea notified Japan about its plan to launch a third spy satellite as early as midnight on November 22, 2023, despite warnings from South Korea and multiple United Nations resolutions banning the use of ballistic missiles technology.

• This announcement came after President Vladmir Putin promised to help Pyongyang build satellites at a meeting with North Korea leader Kim Jong-un in September.

• Pyongyang failed to launch its spy satellites twice earlier this year.

• If carried out, debris from the rocket is likely to fall into the west of the Korean Peninsula and the east of the Philippines’ island of Luzon. 

• Japan will work with South Korea to “strongly urge” North Korea not to go ahead with the launch.

Source:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-67482405
https://gbcode.rthk.hk/TuniS/news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1728677-20231121.htm?

God Continues to Surprise us in China #GivingTuesday2023

Crossing Borders started operations in 2003 in China. This mission field was our sole focus for many years and continues to be an area of increasing importance. We consider it a great miracle that we are able to continue our work there despite the fact that, in recent years, it seemed as if we would have to cease our operations altogether. China has given us opportunities to help hundreds of North Korean refugees in dire need. We have introduced the gospel to North Koreans who have never heard the name of Jesus Christ, fostered their growth in God, and, for some, witnessed them pass into glory.

This year, North Korean refugee Miriam passed away quietly in China. She had no official identification. She left no assets for her children. She had no rights, no one to call if she was being abused or taken advantage of. To China, it was as if she didn’t exist. And though the world around her did not acknowledge her, we know that she held immense value as a person created in the image of God.

Crossing Borders has been ministering to Miriam and the North Koreans who live near her for almost 10 years. It was God’s providence that our pastor was riding a bus, heard some women speaking in Korean with a North Korean accent, and offered to bring help to them in their village. Through this initial, God-ordained meeting, hundreds have come to know the Lord. The ministry God seeded with one simple conversation on a bus continues to this day with regular church gatherings, retreats for refugee women and their families, providing much needed medical treatments,  and, at times, financial assistance to support those in dire need.

Though our work is illegal in China, Crossing Borders has been able to safely and effectively operate in China for over 20 years. To this day, China does not acknowledge North Korean refugees within their borders. The only time that they do is when North Koreans are  arrested and repatriated back to North Korea. China recently  repatriated a large number of North Koreans who were either captured or stuck in China during the pandemic. Under Xi Jinping’s reign, China has become more and more hostile to the work of outsiders like Crossing Borders.

Every Christian aid worker that we know has been forced to leave the country and never allowed to return. The same is true for our own missionaries who lived and served in China for over 10 years. Though they were never caught by the Chinese government, the current laws and their tracking abilities have made it impossible for them to return to China.

Our future in China seemed bleak. It appeared that we were out of options but God provided a way for us to continue. God continues to surprise us and remind us that he loves North Korean refugees more than we ever will.

We are so thankful for our opportunity to continue our work in China and to bring hope to North Korean refugees like Miriam.

Will you consider a generous gift this Giving Tuesday to help provide refuge to North Korean refugees in China who desperately need it?

How Ellie (엘리) Found Refuge #GivingTuesday2023

In the fall of 2022 we welcomed another refugee into Elim House. We call her “Ellie.” Ellie moved to South Korea in 2005 and scratched out a living as a restaurant worker. Her husband became abusive as a result of a mental illness, according to Ellie. She was so miserable that she attempted suicide. Finally, she asked around if there was any other place for her to live.

“I don’t want to divorce him. I just need a break,” she told our staff when she first arrived at our women’s shelter. Elim House was the resting place she needed. According to Ellie, her husband had psychological problems and was delusional. She also shared  that her husband’s brother had severe mental health issues, which was the cause of his death in North Korea.

As a part of the daily rhythms at Elim House, Ellie began doing Bible studies with our social workers. Ellie’s curiosity about Christianity grew and she even wondered why she didn’t consider the Bible more seriously in the past. Her daughter had previously become a Christian and Ellie was exposed to Christianity but was not convinced.

After spending three months at Elim House and receiving counseling, Ellie’s heart softened. She said that Elim House is like going to her mother’s home, a place where she felt safe. During the week, she would read the Bible with our social worker. She was fascinated by the book of Proverbs and said that it felt like every line was written for her. One Sunday she decided that she wanted to follow Christ and that she wanted to be baptized.

North Koreans like Ellie carry with them a tremendous amount of trauma from their difficult lives in South Korea but also from their time in China, where most have been sold, and their time in North Korea. Ellie carried this trauma into Elim House.

She shared a story about a public execution she saw in person. Often, public executions in North Korea were mandatory viewing. One man was caught with a Bible. Later, a cross was found hanging in his basement. The man’s last words were, "God saved me, not Kim Il Sung.” He barely got his last words out before he was shot dead.

The temporary separation from his wife made Ellie’s husband reconsider how he had treated her. She told us that he was willing to do anything to have her back, even go to counseling. She decided to give their marriage another try. And through most of 2023, it seemed as if they were doing well.

Ellie attended our summer retreat and her life seemed stable. When she came back in September for our Chuseok retreat,it was then that we saw the weight of her marriage on her. She was sad and broken. Shortly after the retreat, Ellie told our social worker that her husband asked for a divorce. She longed for the days when she lived at Elim House and has even considered moving back temporarily.

She is currently going through the legal process of divorce in South Korea. She and her husband are dividing up their assets and her heart is broken. Elim House was a short time in Ellie’s life. It became a place of rest for her amidst the tumult of her life. But most importantly, it was a place where she had a true encounter with the Lord. Though she came to find temporary refuge from her difficult marriage, she found her true refuge in God. Though the circumstances of her life are materially no different from when she first came through our doors, the radical transformation God did in her heart will carry her through the difficulties of her divorce.

This holiday season, please consider making a contribution to this work. Not only will you be providing physical refuge, you will also be providing a platform to share about spiritual refuge in Christ.

Julianne's Respite and Community #GivingTuesday2023

Julianne (center) at Elim House.

Julianne was urgently admitted into Elim House this past July after learning that her husband had committed suicide. She was 41 years old and had been married for about a year.

She came from an affluent family in North Korea. Her father was a high ranking executive and her mother traveled frequently to China for business. Julianne had traveled alone to China during the 2022 Beijing Olympics but due to tightening of Chinese borders, she was unable to return home. Having enough money to get herself to Thailand, she was able to defect to South Korea by way of Bangkok. This defection was both unplanned and unexpected, and it still makes her miss her family and home in North Korea. Julianne’s face lights up and her voice gets excited when she speaks of her home.

Once in Korea, she fell victim to financial fraud, was betrayed by several different men, and experienced much hardship. Julianne was with her husband for three years before they married, which was against the wishes of her in-laws. Her husband had foreign business in Cambodia that had failed recently. After the business closed, they didn't leave their house much over the course of a year, which was extremely trying. She needed to get out and wanted to be alone so she took a solo trip for ten days. Julianne said she intentionally ignored her husband’s calls while on this trip. Her husband was known to be anxious, often thinking she might abandon him and run away. He also became violent when Julianne broached the subject of breaking up. It was during her time away that her husband took his own life. She said they had lived through and endured much hardship together but she never suspected it would end this way.

Julianne believed that if she had returned earlier, her husband would not have died. She says that her husband's death was her fault and that she didn’t think she could go on living with the agony he left her by ending his own life. To make matters worse, her in-laws refused to let her be a part of the funeral because they had always been against their marriage.

We learned that Julianne had regularly listened to sermons and worship music with her husband as he came from a Christian family. Julianne joined our regular Sunday worship services at Elim House during her time with us. Upon arriving at Elim House, Julianne suffered with insomnia, chest pains, lack of energy, no appetite and constantly feeling lethargic. The other women living at Elim House when Julianne arrived cooked for her, spent time hearing her story and encouraged her. Within a couple of weeks, she had found enough stability and strength to go inquire with government agencies about getting emergency financial assistance and even began to look for how she might support herself.

Women like Julianne serve as a reminder that Jesus is our only refuge in times of trouble. We are so thankful for the folks who referred Julianne to Elim House during her turmoil. She was able to find respite and community during her stay with us. Julianne moved out just three short weeks after arriving. Her time with us was brief but we continually pray that the seeds of hope planted in her will be watered by others and that she will one day find her rest in Jesus.

Would you consider partnering with us this Giving Tuesday to help more North Korean refugees who struggle to find help and hope?

Elim House Resident Heidi

Heidi attempted suicide in her despair after discovering her South Korean husband had been unfaithful. After spending time in a psychiatric ward and unable to deal with her grief alone, she was connected to Elim House in the hopes that she could find rest and peace as she figured out next steps. Her grief was apparent as she spoke about her many thoughts, dreams and feelings towards her ex-husband.

Heidi’s father was shot by a firing squad after the North Korean government uncovered his plans to escape from the country. She remembers the day she heard this news and how she never shed a single tear for her father because he had been so abusive towards her all of her life. When she was 20 years old, she escaped from North Korea to China where she lived with a man and had a child. Four times she tried to escape to South Korea from China but she could not bring herself to leave her child. She finally left in 2014.

Once in South Korea, she married another man and currently has two children with him. She caught her husband cheating on her and this led to her attempted suicide.

North Korean refugees who turn to Elim House are often at the end of their rope physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It is our goal to help them deal with the challenges and trauma in their lives in a productive way. This is why we take our residents to medical check ups, provide opportunities to receive professional counseling, and host times of worship for them to join. With Heidi, it was no different. We helped her to find work. We challenged her about her addictions. And we pointed her to God.

One Sunday this summer during our worship time with our Elim House residents, our pastor led the group in praise with the hymn “Fill My Cup, Lord”  (by Richard Eugene Blanchard, Sr). Heidi immediately recognized the song and said her grandfather used to sing it in North Korea whenever he would consume alcohol. Heidi always assumed “Hananeem” (Korean word for God) was the name of one of their ancestors which her grandfather was calling out to during these times and didn’t think much of it. This could have been a way that her grandfather was sneaking gospel messages to his grandchildren. Her grandfather could also have converted the song into a drinking song, asking God to “fill his cup” while he got drunk. We marveled at how Heidi’s ancestors must have been introduced to the gospel in the days before the communist regime took over in North Korea and how Christianity hasn’t yet been eradicated from North Korea.

Heidi is very curious about reading the Bible these days with our social worker. She has commented on how the book of Proverbs offers many truths and warnings that she understands personally through her life experiences. While recently reading about Peter’s betrayal of Jesus, she became very animated and upset as she expressed the same hurt she had felt when her husband cheated on her with another woman.

Heidi suffers from sleepless nights when she is haunted by images of her father appearing in her dreams. She is trying to overcome addictions to alcohol, smoking and online gaming. She dreams of being able to raise her kids on her own and holding down a job to pay off the incredible amount of debt she has fallen under due to her husband’s mishandling of their finances. She has found work but it has been a difficult road for her due to the emotional stress that she is under.

We praise God that Heidi heard the gospel during her stay at Elim House and for her curiosity about Jesus and the Bible.

Top Headlines from North Korea - October 2023

‘LARGE NUMBER’ OF NORTH KOREAN DEFECTORS DEPORTED BY CHINA

• Seoul announced that recent reports claiming that as many as 600 North Koreans in China’s three northeast provinces have been sent back appear to be true.

• Human rights groups said that the defectors, who were mostly women, could face imprisonment, sexual violence or even death once they return to the North.

• Koo Byoung-sam, a spokesman for South Korea’s Unification Ministry, told the press that “The South Korean government regrets the situation and raised this matter with the Chinese side in a serious manner, emphasizing our position,” while former North Korean diplomat and current member of South Korea’s parliament, Tae Yong-ho, called on the foreign ministry to summon the Chinese ambassador to South Korea as a form of protest.

• Meanwhile, the Chinese foreign ministry claimed that there were no “so-called defectors” in China and that the country would “continue to appropriately handle” issues relating to “economic migrants” according to humanitarian principles as well as domestic and international law.

Source:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-67098453 
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/south-korea-says-north-korean-defectors-china-sent-back-north-2023-10-13/ 

RUSSIA AND NORTH KOREA’S COOPERATION DEEPENS

• The U.S. said that North Korea has delivered more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia.

• Analysts speculate that this agreement to refill Moscow’s munition stores was made when North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un traveled to Russia and met President Vladimir Putin.

• In return, it is believed that Russian weapon technologies were exchanged to enhance North Korea’s military and nuclear program.

• Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s recent visit to Pyongyang is seen as setting the stage for an impending visit by Putin and exploring new opportunities for weapons trade, as well as a step-up in diplomatic relations between the two isolated countries.

Source:
https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-russia-us-munitions-ukraine-war-7091eaba254b680888a9b1ec8a68135f 
https://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news/section/6/209380/Russia%27s-Lavrov-to-arrive-in-North-Korea-as-cooperation-deepens 

NORTH KOREA MAY HAVE SUPPLIED WEAPONS TO HAMAS

• South Korea’s military identified what it believed to be North Korean weapons from images and videos from the Hamas attacks, including rocket-propelled grenades and 122mm artillery shells that were marked in Korean letters “Bang-122,” which have been used in North Korean artillery attacks on the South.

• Since Hamas’ attack on Israel, including the use of paragliders and drones, adopted tactics that were previously employed by North Korea, a senior member of the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff told the press that “Hamas is believed to be directly or indirectly linked to North Korea in various areas, such as the weapons trade, tactical guidance and training,” and “There is a possibility that North Korea could use Hamas’ attack methods [in the event of] a surprise invasion of South Korea.”

• According to Bruce Bennet, a Senior Fellow at RAND Corporation think tank, a military connection between North Korea and Hamas is very likely as “For many years, North Korea has sent its military personnel overseas to help train foreign military personnel in many countries, so it should be no surprise to find North Korean military trainers in Gaza supporting Hamas.”

• Meanwhile, Pyongyang’s state media openly supported Hamas and called Israel’s response “ceaseless criminal actions.”

Source:
https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/israel-hamas-war-gaza-palestinians/card/south-korea-says-hamas-attack-may-have-relied-on-north-korean-help-RZnO5KooXp1L2XGOUxeT 
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/nk-hamas-10172023160419.html

NORTH KOREA TO ESTABLISH ‘EMERGENCY TRADE SYSTEM’ TO ACQUIRE FOOD

• North Korea’s Ministry of External Economic Relations instructed central government-affiliated trade enterprises to establish an “emergency trade system” by the end of this year.

• The system is aimed at setting up a “safety net” for foreign currency conversions and payments to each country engaged in trade with North Korea.

• This order was issued along with instructions to expand food imports from China and Russia in order to compensate for its agricultural shortfall this year.

• In short, this call to enable the North to reliably and conveniently carry out foreign currency-based transactions is fundamentally aimed at circumventing international sanctions and securing safe channels for foreign trade.

• At present, trade officials at Pyongyang Taehung Fur Trading Company and Yonghung Trade Company have ordered their trade representatives overseas to prepare to convince citizens in China and other countries to set up bank accounts for North Korean companies under their own names.

Source:
https://www.dailynk.com/english/north-koreas-trade-ministry-orders-establishment-of-emergency-trade-system-to-acquire-food/ 
https://thediplomat.com/2023/10/north-korea-orders-establishment-of-emergency-trade-system-to-acquire-food/

North Korea Only Reports Victories from the Asian Games

The 19th Asian Games marked North Korea’s first appearance at a major sports competition since the Covid-19 lockdown in December 2019. Pyongyang prided itself with six new world records, six gold medals, five silvers and two bronze in weightlifting at the Hangzhou Asian Games. In particular, weightlifter Ri Song-gum shocked many by lifting a combined 216kg at the competition, with 2021’s Taiwanese record holder, Kuo Hsing-chun, commenting that “I actually came to watch that day and when I saw it, I said it was just too scary. … They (North Korea) have been strong in the past for many years so it is not too surprising that they would have such results, but it is still pretty scary.”

REFEREE ATTACK AFTER LOSS TO JAPAN

North Korea’s soccer team made headlines during the Games when their captain, Jang Kuk-chol, and teammate, Kim Kyong-sok, furiously protested and shoved the arm of referee Rustam Lutfullin after the latter awarded Japan a late penalty in the quarterfinals. Security officials rushed to the scene to separate the players from Lutfullin at Xiaoshan Sports Centre Stadium after North Korea’s 2-1 loss to Japan. Despite the controversial confrontation, North Korea's coach, Sin Yong-nam, defended his players and insisted that, “I admit that our players were a little bit over excited in the match but it is football … There are confrontations in football matches … I think our behavior is acceptable.”

The North’s loss to Japan continued in women’s football, where they brought home a silver medal after losing 1-4 to Japan. North Korea’s team reportedly lost their rhythm in the match when their forward, An Myong-song, was replaced with Sung Hyang-sim due to a knee injury shortly after Japan scored its first goal 11 minutes into the game.

VICTORY OVER SOUTH KOREAN ‘PUPPETS’

However, the DPRK did not end in total defeat. Most notably, the women’s football team eliminated its long-term rival, South Korea, by 4-1 in the quarterfinals earlier last week. North Korea’s team scored four goals in 94 minutes and successfully sent the South home early, causing the South Korean team’s coach to complain that one of the North’s players pretended to have suffered a painful foul that led to one of his team being sent off. 

In addition, state media in North Korea, including Rodong Sinmun and Korean Central Television, hailed their national women football team’s victory over South Korea’s “puppets” as a form of propaganda victory, stating that “The match ended with our country’s team beating the puppet team by an overwhelming margin of 4-1.” Experts noted that although the use of derogatory terms concerning political and military issues in the South is common, using such expressions in relation to a sporting event is unusual. It is therefore speculated that the reference to “puppets” when describing South Korea at the Games indicates an attempt to instill hostility toward South Korea among North Koreans and that this would likely become a standard label in the future, regardless of the topic. According to Hong Min, Director of North Korean research division at the Korea Institute for National Unification, “It’s part of North Korea’s move to shift away from the previous framework that depicted the North and South relations as a special one and treated the two countries as a unified entity, into a more adversarial relationship.”

The state channels did not publicize North Korea’s defeats against South Korea in basketball by 62-81 and table tennis by 1-4, which may reflect the escalated tensions and current diplomatic positions of the two countries. As Simon Cockerell, the general manager of travel agency Koryo Tours, suggested, only victories are reported in North Korea. It is also interesting to note that during the Games, the DPRK team reportedly showed a cold attitude not only to reporters but also to South Korean players whom they have crossed paths with before. The violent clashes and unfriendly gestures seen on the pitch were therefore viewed by analysts as signs that political tensions had spread to the realm of sport.

North Korea Freedom Week Ahead of Chuseok

Ahead of South Korea’s Thanksgiving holiday of Chuseok, flights to popular travel destinations, including Japan and Thailand, have largely been sold out as people seize the opportunity to escape from complicated family affairs and massive ceremonial activities associated with this festival. However, Chuseok marks a season of isolation and despair for many North Koreans who have settled in the South and are unable to visit their famine-stricken hometowns, pay respect to their ancestors or celebrate the festival with friends and families who are still caught in the North.

Meanwhile, for another group of North Koreans detained in China awaiting forced repatriation as the country begins to ease its border controls after years of stringent Covid-19 lockdown, the holiday season ahead could mean facing punishment for defecting in the form of torture, imprisonment, sexual violence, forced labor in prison camps and even public execution.

WHAT IS THE NORTH KOREA FREEDOM WEEK?

In response to the anticipated mass repatriation of North Korean defectors, civic groups on North Korea’s human rights held a rally near the Chinese Embassy in Seoul, calling on China not to send defectors detained in the country back to the North. The rally was held during the North Korea Freedom Week, which is an annual campaign that seeks to raise public awareness of North Korea’s humanitarian situation in Washington and Seoul, alternating yearly. This year’s freedom week ran from September 17 to 23, 2023, in Seoul. 

The first freedom week was held in April 2004, when human rights activists demonstrated at Capitol Hill in Washington, urging the U.S. Congress to pass the North Korea Human Rights Act. The Act was later signed by President Bush on October 18, 2004, to promote human rights and freedom of North Korean refugees by 

1. providing humanitarian assistance to North Koreans inside North Korea; 

2. providing grants to private, non-profit organizations to promote human rights, democracy, rule of law and the development of a market economy in North Korea; 

3. increasing the availability of information inside North Korea; and

4. providing humanitarian or legal assistance to North Koreans who have fled North Korea.

“As we observe the 20th annual North Korea Freedom Week, we recognize the courage of the North Korean defector and human rights community, which continues to speak on behalf of the millions of North Koreans suffering abuses who are unable to advocate for themselves,” commented the State Department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, who also expressed concerns about the estimated 2,000 asylum seekers from the DPRK who are detained in China and at risk of repatriation.

FREEDOM WEEK IN 2023

Advocacy groups kicked off the freedom week this year by joining the opening ceremony held at the Daejeon National Cemetery in conjunction with a memorial ceremony for the 13th death anniversary of high-profile defector and former mentor to Kim Jong-il, Hwang Jang-yop, next month. The Unification Ministry’s Human Rights Division Chief also gave a speech declaring that “If we continue to spread information about the realities about the North Korea human rights situation, the DPRK authorities will be pressured to improve it, and I am certain that it will bring about changes that will lead to improving the abysmal human rights situation there.”

The trilateral relationship among the U.S., Japan and South Korea has significantly strengthened in recent years, particularly in relation to their diplomatic stance towards Pyongyang. As a result, Seoul’s Unification Ministry under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration has, since last year, referred to the freedom week events as sponsored by not only the core members – the U.S. and South Korea – but also Japan. As such, both U.S. and Japanese activists were seen participating in the freedom week events this year, which consisted of various activities including demonstrations against the forced repatriation of defectors, a seminar about testimonies against nuclear tests in the DPRK and an opera focusing on the experiences of women defectors.

Top Headlines from North Korea - September 2023

NORTH KOREAN ATHLETES SET TO COMPETE AT THE ASIAN GAMES IN CHINA

• A team of 191 athletes left Pyongyang on September 14 to take part in the 19th Asian Games held in the Chinese city of Hangzhou this month.

• North Korea was banned by the International Olympic Committee from participating in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics for failing to take part in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which were pushed back to 2021 because of Covid-19.

• North Koreans are listed on the Games’ website under sports events including athletics, gymnastics, basketball, football, boxing and weightlifting.

• North Korea’s first match is against Taiwan in men’s football.

• The country has traditionally been particularly strong in weightlifting, as seen by its past victory in winning eight golds at the Jakarta Asian Games in 2018.

Source:
https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3234493/north-korea-set-compete-asian-games-after-sporting-isolation-covid-19-emerged
https://www.firstpost.com/sports/asian-games-north-korea-athletes-china-13134352.html

NORTH KOREAN PRISON BREAK AMIDST GROWING PUBLIC UNEASE OF SERIOUS CRIMES

• On August 28, 2023, five prisoners awaiting trial on charges of robbery, rape, murder and illegal cattle slaughter escaped from a North Korean prison in the northern province of Ryanggang.

• Prison breaks in North Korea are rare. The jailbreakers reportedly climbed over a barbed wire-topped wall while they were repairing the roof of the social security department building “when security was lax.”

• A 24-year-old escapee, who was accused of secretly eating a cow that was meant to be used for farm work, turned himself in days later, and a 23-year-old was caught near his home, while the other three are still at large and believed to be trying to escape to China, about 25 kilometers (16 miles) from the prison.

• The escape came at a time when reports show that there has been a string of serious crimes this year in Chongjin.

• Five people involved in burglaries and murders in Chongjin were publicly executed in late August.

• However, many in Chongjin doubted whether the “sound of gunfire will reduce crime” as “Crime is born of hardship from food shortages.”

Source:
https://www.dailynk.com/english/five-alleged-burglars-murderers-publicly-executed-chongjin/
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/prisonbreak-09132023163855.html 

BIDEN CONTINUES TO BAN THE USE OF U.S. PASSPORTS FOR TRAVEL TO NORTH KOREA

• Biden’s administration recently renewed its ban on the use of American passports for travel to North Korea for a seventh consecutive year.

• According to a notice posted on the Federal Register, “The Department of State has determined there continues to be serious risk to U.S. citizens and nationals of arrest and long-term detention constituting imminent danger to their physical safety.”

• The ban was first set in place by Trump’s administration in 2017 following the death of American student, Otto Warmbier, who was imprisoned for stealing a propaganda poster before returning to the U.S. while in a coma.

• Humanitarian groups expressed concern regarding the impact of the ban on providing relief to North Korea, which has been reportedly suffering from severe food and medical shortages.

• Cathi Choi, director of Korea Peace Now!, expressed disappointment at the extension of the ban as it “ignores the repeated urging from a broad coalition of advocates and experts to modify the travel ban to at least allow for important people-to-people initiatives and family reunions.”

Source:
https://apnews.com/article/us-north-korea-passport-ban-travis-warmbier-6795d172d60966ae0809c1b951d197b2 
https://www.nknews.org/2023/08/us-extends-ban-on-citizens-travel-to-north-korea-for-seventh-year/ 

NORTH KOREA UNVEILS NEW NUCLEAR MISSILE SUBMARINE

• North Korean state media announced that the country has just launched its first operational “tactical nuclear attack submarine” to patrol the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

• The new submarine, Kim Kun-ok, was named after a North Korean historical figure who led a maritime operation during the 1950-1953 Korean War that sank the USS Baltimore.

• The North’s latest weapon system was unveiled after its leader, Kim Jong-un, proclaimed that nuclear weapons development would allow the country to develop economically while the U.S. continues to impose sanctions on Pyongyang.

• Even though some sources describe the new submarine as just a conversion from an existing Soviet-built Romeo-class diesel-electric submarine, the North Korean government claims that it is ready for “both preemptive and retaliatory strikes.”

• Reports describe that if the Kim Kun-ok is successful, it could give North Korea a longer range for its nuclear arsenal, which is beyond the existing capabilities of the U.S. and South Korean intelligence.

Source:
https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1717367-20230908.htm
https://news.yahoo.com/north-korea-just-launched-nuclear-004132661.html

A Desperate North Korea has Finally Reopened

The hermit kingdom has finally reopened its gates to its allies as North Korea’s one and only state airline, Air Koryo, resumed services last month from Pyongyang to Beijing and Russia’s port city of Vladivostok. Flight JS151 landed in Beijing on August 22, 2023, at 9:17 a.m., shortly ahead of its scheduled time. Although it was not clear who was aboard, tour companies that operated in North Korea suggested that the flight was specially arranged to carry back North Koreans trapped in China during the years of border closures. This international border closure marks three and a half years of total cut-off from the outside world. Even though rail trade for desperately needed food and medicine from China had restarted as early as April 2022, passenger travel in 2023 signals that North Korea is prepared to return to its pre-pandemic livelihood.

However, the prolonged isolation has deepened the nation’s chronic food insecurity, and it is worrying as to how its people, including underground entrepreneurs who have grown dependent on Kim Jong-un’s authoritarian leadership when the black-market trade economy was put to a halt, could restore the country’s heavily driven civilian economy.

IT IS NOW OR NEVER

North Korea was “successful” in portraying its achievement in accomplishing its ideology of self-reliance during the lockdown by reportedly stealing hundreds of millions worth of cryptocurrency and other digital assets to fund its worsening economic conditions. However, “The cost of isolation that piled up over the years … has reached a breaking point for Kim,” according to Heo Jeong-pil, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University in Seoul. Similarly, Cho Han-bun, a senior researcher at the Korean Institute of National Unification viewed Pyongyang’s resumption of commercial flights to be motivated by an urgency to resume trade and people-to-people exchanges. Some experts believe that the North may even increase the number of workers sent to Russia’s Far East to replace repatriated laborers amidst the mass forced return of citizens from abroad, as they provide an important source of foreign income for the regime.

In relation to opening the country’s doors to tourists, Heo commented that, “While very careful at this point, North Korean authorities do need opportunities to raise foreign currency, and that is why they ultimately want tourists back.” Although it is unclear when foreigners would be allowed to enter the country, the North Korean parliament recently passed a new law on “revitalizing” and “expanding” the tourism industry, which may indicate that the government now seeks to revive the ailing industry. Rowan Beard, a tour manager at Young Pioneer Tours, described that “It’s a positive sign to see the tourism sector being discussed in parliament – meaning they are expecting foreign tourists to return soon.” Nonetheless, since Covid-19 restrictions are still being implemented in the country, as seen by the one-week quarantine requirement imposed on the first batch of returning citizens in August, prospective tourists should be prepared to accept similar testing and quarantine measures. After all, “The unvaccinated nation is still highly wary of the coronavirus, but it has no choice but to reopen its borders to resume trade and address the ongoing food shortage which has reached a serious level. I’ve heard that the price of rice per kilogram has reached 7,000 North Korean won (KPW) in some places, the highest figure in several years,” according to Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korea studies at Ewha Womans University.

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY PREPARES TO WELCOME NORTH KOREANS

International competitions also welcomed the first batch of North Korean athletes since the start of the pandemic in early 2020. A group of around 80 male and female taekwondo athletes and officials were seen traveling by sleeper train from the Chinese border city of Dandong and through Beijing’s international airport to Kazakhstan in August 2023. The North’s demonstration team performed for about an hour at the opening ceremony of the ITF Taekwon-Do World Championships held in Astana, during which the chief of the North Korean-led International Taekwondo Federation, Ri Yong-son, told the press that “We’ve gathered here for peace and friendship. There are no failures, we are all champions.” Photos by South Korea’s Yonghap news agency showed large piles of wrapped boxes and luggage as the group checked in for the return flight to Pyongyang from Beijing.

As North Korea begins to ease its traveling restrictions both internally and externally, experts speculate that South Korea is expected to see a growing number of North Korean defectors in the coming months, not only from Pyongyang but also from China and Russia. Park even suggested that “We may see the number (of defectors) return gradually to pre-pandemic levels.”

Food Shortage Concerns after Typhoon Strikes North Korea

In anticipation of tropical storm Khanun, North Korea’s military and the Party were ordered to prepare flood-mitigation measures and salvage crops earlier this month. The effects of the typhoon have been devastating to many parts of the country, particularly in South Hamgyong Province, where “Day after day of continuous rain … caused serious damage to families living in single-story homes who haven’t kept up with repairs on broken tiles.” As a result, “Families with little children have been sending them to sleep in undamaged houses while they stay up all night mopping the water.” Amidst the chaos, signs of greater food insecurity have also emerged with citizens “moaning about their predicament – along with not having enough to eat, they now have to stay up all night to deal with rain leaking through their roofs.”

Even though North Korean state media quoted its leader Kim Jong-un’s seemingly high regard for its people, saying that “For our Party, the life of each and every one of our people is more precious than anything else, and only when the whole people are healthy can there be a Party,” it ordered citizens to prioritize the protection of propaganda statues, monuments and murals of the country’s leaders.

KIM JONG-UN’S PRIORITIES

There were specific instructions passed down by the Party, stating that “Above all, there should be a primary focus on reconfirming the security status of significant objects including portraits, statues, mosaic murals representing the great leader and general, (and) immortality towers.” Other Party slogans, historical sites and museums, which are linked to worship of the Kim family are among the assets that citizens and officials should actively protect by visiting the local areas themselves “rather than giving instructions and receiving reports on the results.” According to Andrei Lankov, Director at Korea Risk Group, “These statues and portraits are not just symbols, but are sacred religious symbols, essentially icons. … Every religion since times immemorial expects its faithful to be ready to die – or at least suffer – in order to save sacred icons.” Moreover, citizens can face execution for damaging their leader’s portrait, even if it was unintentional.

North Korea’s Party-oriented priorities over the health and safety of its people extend to the protection of its crops and forests. Authorities have formed nationwide emergency response committees and mobilized citizens to prevent damage to crops and infrastructure projects from floods at the cost of people’s homes and livelihoods. Factory workers have reportedly been ordered to dig ditches at cooperative farms with non-functioning water pumps, and the operation is expected to last until the end of the monsoon season. Meanwhile, a citizen from South Pyongan complained that the authorities “paid no attention to concerns about the flooding of homes” and asked residents to “deal with it on their own” as water swept into yards and homes, flooding rooms and destroying property, including blankets and televisions. Another source from Hyesan criticized the authorities for issuing mobilization orders to residents to restore trees as she questioned what good trees will do “when we are starving because there is nothing to eat right now.” As a form of punishment, residents who do not take part in the forest restoration must “prepare a lunch box [for others who are mobilized] and pay 10,000 won (US$1.20) in cash.”

SERIOUS FOOD SHORTAGES

The North Korean economy has been trapped in a “vicious cycle” of negative growth for three years from 2020 and 2022 and the people are paying the price. As described by Hong Min of the Korea Institute for National Unification, Pyongyang’s recent emphasis on the agricultural sector is “seemingly out of desperation that food issues could become a serious problem.”

Further, following accusations by the UN Security Council condemning the regime for overspending on its nuclear arms program while neglecting its citizens’ basic needs, state media showed recent images of Kim Jong-un visiting typhoon-hit farms and overseeing military helicopters spray pesticides to save key crops. Kim’s public appearance in paddy fields in Kangwon Province, whereby he was seen inspecting restoration activities at a farm which was recently damaged by a typhoon, sparked speculations that there are serious food shortages across the country, especially amid reports alleging that around 240 North Koreans had starved to death between January and July this year, which was more than double the annual average of 110. Kim praised the rapid response of the military to the typhoon damage as “performing a miracle of recovering flooded farmland in a brief span of time,” but experts questioned how effective the measures would be, claiming that “Kim Jong Un’s order to mobilize air force planes is merely a show.”

How Brokers Take Advantage of Desperate Defectors

North Korean defectors rely heavily on brokers who not only help them escape to China and/or ultimately to South Korea, but also stay connected with their loved ones back in the North. Over the years, brokers have used Chinese cell phones that enable them to make calls close to the China-North Korea border using Chinese relay towers, while an intermediary in China would arrange for money to be sent from South Korea to intended recipients in North Korea after taking a percentage for their services.

However, recent crackdowns by authorities have resulted in reduced communication for desperate families and friends who wait in the unknown through long periods of silence. Due to the broad and unmonitored powers brokers have over defectors and their families, reports indicate that remittance scams are common and the pandemic created a loophole that allows brokers to cheat their clients, particularly those whose families live in inland North Korean cities located far from the border regions.

A BREACH OF TRUST

It is no secret to the international community, let alone brokers working at the heart of the underground network, that North Koreans trying to escape their country have no choice but to trust brokers and their services with an unquestioning attitude. Unfortunately, cases of broker exploitation are not rare, especially since the borders were closed since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 and people in the North had no way of communicating with the outside world.

Moreover, many defectors who have already escaped to the South were contacted by people posing as brokers. Kim Dan-geum, a North Korean defector who settled in South Korea told Radio Free Asia, described that brokers emotionally manipulate defectors, saying that “‘The family will starve to death if you don’t send the money,’ But we can’t confirm whether that’s true or not. There is no way to confirm.” Kim added that, “One lady I know said she keeps sending money, and the broker plays for her the recorded voices of the family saying ‘I got the money,’ or ‘I did not get the money.’”

According to Seo Jae-pyoung, secretary general of the South Korea-based Association of the North Korean Defectors, brokers take advantage of the fact that they are the only source of communication between defectors and their families. “Border control is now strict, so people from other provinces cannot get near the border. ... I myself got a call yesterday. The broker said my nephew’s name and told me to send money for him. I can’t connect with my nephew so … I can’t even check whether the money I sent actually got to him or not.” At the same time, the inability to discern between actual and fraudulent requests for money can be detrimental to people still living in the North. Seo described that “A defector I know had a younger brother living in Hyeryong, who called her in April last year requesting money … The sister said, ‘You don’t even drink alcohol. Don’t lie,’ and she hung up on him. A few months later news came that her younger brother had died. She began to wail, because what her brother said was true.” Further, Seo explained that brokers fabricate receipts, whereby “Some hand over a smaller amount of money than what was due and force them to sign a receipt.”

A ‘SAFER ROUTE’ TO FREEDOM?

Following widespread rumors about the impending forced repatriation of defectors detained in China, news that defectors whose identities have not been confirmed by their Chinese families are about to be arrested and sent back to the North have also started to spread among the North Korean community. As a result, defectors in China are increasingly anxious and fearful of their illegal statuses, and many are urgently seeking ways to reach South Korea as soon as possible.

According to a recent report, two defectors were arrested by the Chinese police in Jilin Province in mid-July after receiving assurance from a broker that he would “send them safely to South Korea without incident” upon paying an advance payment of 55,000 RMB (around $7,600 USD). A source explained to DailyNK that “some defectors are paying brokers in advance and then getting arrested on their way to South Korea. That’s because brokers are assuring their clients that they can safely make it to South Korea through a ‘newly-developed route’,” which is an outright lie. Consequently, desperate defectors who have chosen to quickly leave China are not only losing their money to deceitful brokers but also getting caught by the Chinese authorities.

The ongoing abuse of a people who are already vulnerable is still happening to this day. While the path to freedom is fraught with bad actors, we heard recently that the number of North Korean defectors entering into (and graduating from) Hanawon in South Korea has slowly grown in recent months, and for that, we are thankful.