Network of North Korean Believers Lead Over 700 to Christ

While growing up in North Korea, “Sang-chul” was taught that the concept of God was a dangerous lie. And the government’s zero-tolerance policy toward any suspicion of Christian behavior reinforced the lesson.

As the gospel quietly spread in parts of the country, so did a fear among North Koreans that they might be suspected of Christian faith. “We were really afraid of Christianity because anybody could get executed or killed — even if you were looking at the Bible,” Sang-chul said.

But in 2013, Sang-chul witnessed the power of a life devoted sacrificially to Jesus: The commitment of a pastor named Han Chung-Ryeol enabled Sang-chul to let go of his fear. Pastor Han was later martyred, on April 30, 2016, because of his bold Christian work.

“I really wanted to know why he helped North Koreans, because it was dangerous for Pastor Han to help North Koreans there,” Sang-chul recalled. “Pastor Han unconditionally loved us and treated us well. I felt his heart. The more I met with Pastor Han, I felt more his heart came from the Lord. Without God, he wouldn’t have helped me. That is why I realized Christianity is a true religion.”

Like many North Koreans, Sang-chul had experienced extreme poverty and desperation that conditioned him to put his own survival before anyone else’s. The poor conditions in North Korea were created by famine, the government’s poor management of resources and the effects of the breakup of the Soviet Union in the 1990s.

The harsh treatment and meager wages he received working temporary jobs in neighboring China left him even more focused on self-preservation. Then, after meeting Christians like Pastor Han who were ministering selflessly to North Koreans along the border, he encountered Jesus in a life-altering way and became a member of the underground church he had once feared.

“After I decided to follow Jesus, I had a purpose to go back and forth to China,” he said. “I came to love other people, and I felt like I didn’t want to waste any time. I did my best to spread the gospel in North Korea; that was my purpose. Once I accepted this purpose, I felt like I didn’t have enough time to do it.”

Hundreds of North Koreans, including 700 confirmed by VOM workers in 2017, have come to know Christ through the efforts of Sang-chul and other Christians in his network.

“In North Korea, even sharing the gospel with your husband, wife or children requires a holy boldness,” said Pastor Eric Foley, co-founder and chief executive officer of The Voice of the Martyrs Korea. “Even the most passionate evangelists in North Korea typically reach less than a dozen people in their lifetime. Sang-chul and his fellow believers reached 700 people, which shows why the North Korean regime considered Pastor Han such a threat. He had raised up an army of Sang-chuls.”

New Life, New Purpose

Sang-chul spent years traveling back and forth to China so that he could learn from Pastor Han and serve alongside him. Eventually, he began staying in North Korea for longer periods to spread the gospel.

As he witnessed to North Koreans, Sang-chul first told them about a “true love” that could change their lives. After earning their trust, he would begin sharing the gospel more openly, even pulling out a small Bible that he had hidden in his clothing or in a shoe so he could share passages of Scripture.

Sang-chul increasingly sacrificed time away from his wife and two daughters to serve and evangelize the lost. His quiet, determined efforts led to small groups of Christians meeting in each other’s homes. They worshiped by reciting the Apostle’s Creed and the Lord’s Prayer before praying for their country. They asked God for wisdom, strength and protection as they continued sharing the gospel.

Then one day, Sang-chul learned that authorities had arrested a close Christian friend and that a government agent was now searching for him. Unable to return home, he stayed at a friend’s house until he could bribe his way across the border and flee North Korea.

Following Through

While staying at a discipleship center following his defection, Sang-chul read Tortured for Christ by VOM founder Richard Wurmbrand. The book has been a source of inspiration for Sang-chul as he continues to pray and work to spread the gospel among North Koreans.

“I was really touched when I read his book,” Sang-chul said. “Do you know how many people die for Jesus because of their faith? Even I don’t know, and nobody knows their name.”

As he hears stories of Christians and others suffering inside North Korea, Sang-chul confesses that he feels guilty for experiencing freedom on the outside.

“I pray that they have even the moment of feeling happiness,” he said. “It is OK for them to be martyred, but I really wish [they could] have a moment where they feel happy.”

Sang-chul struggles to pray for Kim Jong Un, knowing the atrocities he continues to commit against North Koreans. “He kills us like he’s killing flies,” he said. “I just don’t understand how I could pray for him; he is not even a human being. On one side, he is killing so many people, and on the other hand he shows up on the TV and smiling. That is why I don’t think that he is a human being. Even [now], North Korea is executing so many Christians because of their faith.”

Sang-chul said he thanks God for Christians in America who pray for North Korean believers and their country. He asks us to pray that he will be less selfish and that his faith will continue to grow. He also asks us to pray that his family will be reunited. Then, he said, he will again risk more for the gospel and his people. He is no longer focused on his own survival and says he is happy to die for Jesus.

“North Korea’s government is so cruel,” he said. “There are so many people who die without other people knowing. I am thinking more and more about how my sacrifice will be worthwhile.”

Although many in Sang-chul’s network have been detained and banished to North Korea’s brutal prison camps, the good news of freedom in Christ continues to spread quietly throughout the country.