Perspective on North Korea

Tonight an important distinction was made—the North Korean regime is truly despicable, but the North Korean people are simply desperate to survive.  From what I have read about North Korea in the world news it is very easy to demonize the entire nation for the actions of a few wishing to assert their power and spread fear.  Tonight I saw a different side of North Korea--the human one.  In my present situation, it is so easy to put on the blinders, thank God for the incredibly blessed life I have, and carry on.  Tonight, however, put a face on the inhumanity occurring just a few hundred miles away, and although I'm not sure what to do about it, I was affected by what I heard and saw.

I was aware that the situation for most people in North Korea was bad, but until tonight I was unaware of the gross human rights violations taking place there.  How desperate would I have to be to risk imprisonment or death to escape from my homeland?  Would I consider leaving my family behind, knowing I may never see or speak with them again, to secure basic freedoms?  Freedom most certainly is NOT free and I don't know if I would have the courage to risk everything...even if it meant I would live and die in poverty.

Tonight I listened to a North Korean refugee, now living in South Korea, as he detailed growing up in one of the northern provinces.  He recalled his early years nostalgically, much in the way I would talk about my middle class upbringing.  After seeing an execution at age 15, joining, and leaving, the military, and seeing his countrymen starve to death before his eyes, a 20 year old Joseph Park decided that something was wrong with the picture and he made plans to escape to China in order to make money.  Crossing the river to China was only one hurdle that started a seven year journey to freedom in South Korea.  Joseph didn't even inform his family that he was planning to escape--it was simply too dangerous and his parents were committed to the communist ideals of their nation.  In his absence, Joseph eventually learned that two of his sisters had contracted tuberculosis, one died.  During the next month our school is raising money for a tuberculosis clinic in North Korea and the medicine we purchase will save lives...but only a few.  It costs over $2,000 to treat one person and there are thousands infected.  While these efforts are important, it just doesn't seem like enough.  Over the next few days I'm curious to see where God will lead me in terms of getting involved in supporting the North Korean people.  I'm listening...