North Korea: How Christmas is celebrated in secret in Kim's hermist state | World | News | Express.co.uk

North Korea: How Christmas is celebrated in secret in Kim's hermist state | World | News | Express.co.uk



Christians in North Korea ‘risk everything’ to whisper Christmas prayers in secret worship
NORTH Korea is the most dangerous place in the world to celebrate Christmas but every year thousands risk jail and torture to mark the day in secret.
By JOEY MILLAR
PUBLISHED: 09:00, Sun, Dec 24, 2017


GETTYNorth Korea: Christians are forced to celebrate Christmas in secret

North Korea is notorious for its horrific persecution of Christians, with citizens only permitted to idolise despot Kim Jong-un under the brutal 'Juche' system.




Christians can be sent to labour camp to face torture and possible death if they are caught, according to anti-persecution charity Open Doors.

But across the country defiant Christians will meet in private to pray and sing carols this Christmas - despite Kim’s best efforts to stamp out the religion.

An Open Doors spokeswoman told Express.co.uk: “Christians in North Korea are not free to celebrate Christmas. If you are caught you will be sent to a labour camp, tortured and many die.

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Photographer Eric Lafforgue ventured to North Korea six times. Thanks to digital memory cards, he was able to save photos that was forbidden to take inside the segregated state




ERIC LAFFORGUE/EXCLUSIVEPIX MEDI

“Incredibly many Christians risk everything to gather on Christmas Day and remember the hope the first Nativity brought to the world.

“A meeting is usually just two people on a park bench muttering prayers and praise quietly.

“For some, it is too dangerous to even speak, so they simply gather together for a few minutes of encouragement.

“If a whole family comes to faith, they can organise a type of Christmas celebration. But even then, they have to keep it secret from the neighbours.”

GETTYNorth Korea's Christians are forced to flee the country or practice in secret

A source told the charity Christmas is celebrated even within North Korea’s brutal prisons and gauges.

They said: “I met a Christian lady imprisoned for her faith, who celebrated Christmas inside a North Korean labour camp.

“She had had daily ideological training, where the prison guards read newspapers to the inmates.

GETTYNorth Korea's Christians risk torture and jail to celebrate Christians

Christians therefore, always knew when it was Christmas, so every Christmas day she and her five secret Christian converts would celebrate in the toilet building with a short worship meeting. They sang softly.

“They risked a lot in doing so but miraculously she and the other Christians with her were never caught.”

Open Doors estimates 70,000 Christians are currently imprisoned for their faith while another 300,000 keep their faith a secret.
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