Open Doors USA

The nation run by Kim Jong-Il has announced to the international community that it will launch a satellite into orbit sometime between Saturday and next Wednesday.

Many fear that the launch is actually a test of an intercontinental ballistic missile that could contain a nuclear warhead.

According to the New York Times, the government's radio broadcasts also have threatened to shoot down "spy planes" sent into the air by other nations to monitor its actions.

The U.S., South Korea and Japan all have confirmed that North Korea's actions would be a violation of a 2006 United Nations resolution banning Pyongyang from ballistic missile tests. Not that any dictatorship has ever cared about what the U.N. has to say.

While the threats from North Korea have disturbed the outside world Open Doors explained that it is those behind the Bamboo Curtain who suffer most. This is especially true in the case of Christians, whose faith is generally illegal and sometimes punished to the third generation.

"According to a recent Open Doors report from the field, a warlike buildup by the government is a nightmare for most North Korean citizens," the organization said Thursday. "Officials have ordered citizens to gather 15 days worth of war provisions. Even young students are being forced to transport ammunition boxes."

The organization, in a statement released by spokesman Jerry Dykstra, described the "favor" granted by North Korea's "great leader" in February to citizens – a special ration of corn and rice.

"But the lives of these residents are getting worse. The crisis in the world's economy has reached North Korea. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. A small number of the governing class are purchasing foreign goods from China. Their houses are full of rare, expensive goods from overseas, according to the report. Meanwhile, people are dying from starvation," the group said.

For seven years in a row, Open Doors has listed North Korea as the No. 1 persecutor of Christians in the world, even ahead of Saudi Arabia and Iran. Even the U.S. State Department has re-designated it as a nation "of particular concern" for its violations of religious freedoms just days ago.

Detailed information from inside North Korea is hard to obtain, but WND reported on the escape of a North Korean man who said many in his country believe Kim Jong-Il actually is a god.

The Christian, who was identified only as Mr. Kim, is now living in South Korea,. He told Voice of the Martyrs that Kim Jong-Il, and his late father Kim Il Sung are both portrayed as gods.

"All North Koreans really believe that Kim Il Sung is a god. He [hid] the bad things he had done, to preserve his godlike status to the people. I think 70 to 80 percent of what is said about Kim Il-Sung is similar to the Bible," he told the ministry.

But, every cloud has its silver lining.

"North Korean church leaders have started a prayer campaign for evangelization inside North Korea," Open Doors reported.

"The North Korean society is extremely unstable. Believers see this as an opportunity to develop and reinforce their church organization. They are becoming more united, even though the situation for believers has worsened. North Korean authorities have stepped up their measures for exposing all underground church members by increasing surveillance of Christians."

Open Doors says the rest of the world can join in the battle for North Korea by participating in North Korea Freedom Week, April 26-May 2, which was developed by 60 organizations, including Open Doors.

The campaign is set up to raise awareness to the plight of North Koreans and the abuses of human rights and religious rights there.

Open Doors estimates 100 million Christians worldwide suffer interrogation, arrest and even death for their faith in Christ, with millions more facing discrimination and alienation.

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