55th Anniversary of Korean War Truce Inspires Fasting, Prayer

By Michelle A. Vu, Christian Post Reporter Sunday, July 27, 2008

People around the world participated in the global day of fasting and prayer for North Korea on Sunday, marking the 55th anniversary of the Korean War armistice and the creation of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) – the most heavily armed border in the world.

Participants of the event had been encouraged to pray for the estimated 200,000 to 1 million North Korean prisoners, including women and children, to be set free from concentration camps. They were also asked to pray for Christians locked up and tortured because of their faith.

"We earnestly ask all churches, ministries, and individuals worldwide to intercede and mobilize unceasing intercession for North Korea until justice is brought forth unto Victory," announced the Global Justice Prayer Network on its website.

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North Korea is arguably the most repressive and worst human rights violator in the world. The persecution watchdog group Open Doors ranks North Korea as the world's worst persecutor of Christians while the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has blacklisted North Korea for its religious freedom violations.

The country was formed following the Korean War armistice on June 27, 1953, that split the peninsula into two along the DMZ, which now divides North and South Korea.

While democratic South Korea has a thriving economy and is a respected member of the international community, North Korea is governed by a totalitarian regime and seen as a threat to the global community with its nuclear weapons.

Furthermore, millions in North Korea face starvation, countless children are orphaned or live in dangerous circumstances, and hundreds of thousands of North Korean refugees have fled into China.

There are also around 200,000 Christians believed to be currently in prison labor camps because of their faith.

Organizers of the day of global prayer and fasting for North Korea have requested believers to pray for the Word of God to be re-introduced into the land and for the safety of Christian workers in the country, where it is illegal to be a follower of Jesus Christ or a believer of any other faith besides the state religion – a semi-personality cult that worships current dictator Kim Jong-il and his deceased father Kim Il-sung.

Estimates place the number of underground Christians in North Korea at around 400,000 to 500,000, according to Open Doors.

Another prayer topic is the restoration of human rights to all North Koreans, especially handicapped persons, children, women, the elderly, and the estimated 40 percent of the population that are considered part of the "hostile class" – individuals or relatives of those believed to be critical of the North Korean regime.

All Christian families are classified as hostile.

"The Worldwide Day of Fasting and Prayer for North Korea is a call to Christians worldwide to repentance and intercession for the nation of North Korea," reminded the GJPN.

In addition to the GJPN, the Worldwide Day of Fasting and Prayer for North Korea was supported by the Global Day of Prayer, Open Doors and the North Korea Freedom Coalition.