Top Headlines from North Korea - March 2024
Crossing Borders
by Michael Chang
1w ago
NORTH KOREA SUED FOR “PARADISE ON EARTH” ATROCITIES Approximately 93,340 ethnic Korean residents in Japan moved to North Korea between 1959 and 1984 after they were promised to find abundant healthcare, education and job opportunities under what is known as the “Paradise on Earth” campaign. South Korean human rights organization filed the first civil lawsuit against Pyongyang for enticing ethnic Koreans to move to North Korea through false promises through the campaign. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of five ethnic Koreans who relocated from Japan to North Korea to seek “overdue compens ..read more
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Chief Gynecologist Sees North Korean Refugee Women in China
Crossing Borders
by Michael Chang
1w ago
For the first time in her life, 56-year-old “Bonnie” received a full physical exam. It was performed by a gynecologist in China. Here she recounts the story of how this opportunity came about through our field pastor: Eighteen years have passed since I came to China. For a long time, I couldn’t find joy in this unfamiliar land. It was a place where parents, brothers, and children were abandoned, and my language did not work here. When I thought of my hometown, I would go to the fields and cry by myself. I really missed my hometown. Years ago when I first heard about this pastor who cared for ..read more
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China and Women’s Day
Crossing Borders
by Michael Chang
2w ago
As China celebrated Women’s Day on March 8, our staff decided to hold a retreat for our North Korean refugee women where they gathered for a time to share their burdens with one another and encouraged each other in their faith.  Despite the fact that China has not honored the rights of North Korean women and has committed a number of atrocities on its women, Women’s Day has been a widely celebrated event in the country.  Ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8, China held major events to celebrate Chinese women around the country. According to Xinhua, the All-China Women’s Fed ..read more
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The Birth of Kim Jong-il
Crossing Borders
by Michael Chang
1M ago
February 16, 2024, also known as the “Day of the Shining Star,” marked North Korea’s former leader, Kim Jong-il’s, birthday. State propaganda claims that the late Kim was born in a “secret camp” at Mount Paektu between 1941 to 1942 when his father was fighting Japanese colonialism. However, Soviet Union records show that he was born in the Russian Far East near Khabarovsk in 1941 as his father did not travel to North Korea until after the USSR took over North Korea following Japan’s defeat in World War II.  Kim Jong-il succeeded his father to the throne in 1994 and ruled over the kingdom ..read more
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At Elim House: Weep with those who weep
Crossing Borders
by Michael Chang
1M ago
Brenda (right) at an outing with other North Korean refugees. One of the most mystifying things about the gospels is that God came to live among us and got involved in our affairs. In Matthew 1:23, the angel of the Lord said that we will call him Immanuel, which means “God with us.” We see this plainly at Elim House, as our staff cares for our residents. Brenda came to us in late December as she faced continued housing insecurity. She had lived in South Korea since 2011 and was sixty years old. Brenda had been bouncing around between an acquaintance's house, a goshiwon (a dormitory style smal ..read more
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Top Headlines from North Korea - February 2024
Crossing Borders
by Michael Chang
1M ago
RARE PROTESTS AMONG NORTH KOREAN WORKERS IN CHINA According to South Korea’s intelligence agency, poor working conditions in China have led to “incidents and accidents” among North Koreans working overseas. As many as 3,000 North Korean workers reportedly staged a series of protests in China over the course of the past few months, resulting in at least one death and three injuries among North Korean government officials. A North Korean official who was dispatched to supervise workers at garment factories in China’s northeastern province of Jilin was killed during violent protests between ..read more
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North Korea Resumes Lunar New Year Celebration with China, Reaffirming their “Unbreakable” Alliance with China
Crossing Borders
by Michael Chang
1M ago
North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, called on all provinces to “make preparations for people to enjoy a bountiful Lunar New Year” and urged organizations to schedule adequate rest for their workers. Meanwhile, the country has been strengthening diplomatic relations with China ahead of the festivity. Since the last ‘North Korea-China Friendship Lunar New Year’ event held in January 2020 shortly before the pandemic, the North had not celebrated the festivity with its closest neighboring ally for four years.  North Korea’s profile on the global stage has increased due to its weapons prolifera ..read more
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Expanding Community Classes to Seoul in 2024 - Elim Community
Crossing Borders
by Jacob Shin
2M ago
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 ..read more
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Kim Ju-ae: North Korea’s Next Leader?
Crossing Borders
by Michael Chang
2M ago
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 ..read more
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Top Headlines from North Korea - January 2024
Crossing Borders
by Michael Chang
2M ago
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 experie ..read more
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