Feb week1, 2025 Prayer for North Korea
1. Outside Pyongyang, North Korea by Kang Dong-wan – A North Korean Defector Woman Cries Out
▶ ▶ Article Summary
During holidays, North Korean defectors who have left their families behind in North Korea or China endure even greater sorrow. Though 2024 was a year that saw the designation of ‘North Korean Defectors’ Day,’ there is still a long way to go. Among the 35,000 defectors living in South Korea, about 80% are women, most of whom suffered human rights violations through human trafficking in China. Their biggest heartbreak is the children they had in China.
A friend of mine, who was separated from her child when he was three years old, had an emotional reunion this year when he turned twenty and became a college student. She obtained a tourist visa and traveled to China to meet her son. However, when her son tried to obtain a visa to visit her in South Korea during his vacation, the process was far from easy. Upon inquiring with the Ministry of Unification, she was told that it was not the responsibility of the Korea Hana Foundation and was instead given the contact information of a private agent. The agent demanded an unreasonably high fee for the visa, and even after several months, the visa had still not been issued.
Would it not be better if the Korea Hana Foundation collaborated with the immigration department of our Ministry of Foreign Affairs and directly handled visa matters? I would like to ask: for whom is the 30-billion-won annual budget for defectors being used? Please listen to the desperate voices of these North Korean defector women.
2025.1.31. Daily NK / Read Article
▶ ▶ Prayer Requests
"For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners..." (Deuteronomy 10:17-19)
○Some North Korean defector women in South Korea have children in China, but their reunion is hindered by the difficulty of obtaining entry visas for their children. Lord, please enable the Ministry of Unification to simplify the visa issuance process so that these women can meet their children more easily.
○May North Korean defector support policies reflect the voices of the defectors themselves. Help the Korea Hana Foundation take more proactive steps to meet their real needs and ensure that the foundation operates properly in accordance with its mission of supporting defectors.
○May our fellow North Koreans no longer have to suffer the pain of being separated from their families or facing human rights violations while escaping. Lord, may the unification of Korea through the gospel be realized swiftly.
2. UK Ministry of Defense: "4,000 North Korean Casualties in Kursk… 1,000 Killed"
▶ ▶ Article Summary
On the 24th, the UK stated that as of mid-January this year, it is highly likely that approximately 4,000 North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia have become casualties, with about 25% of them—around 1,000—killed. Previously, the U.S. reported that Russian and North Korean military leaders were treating these troops as expendable, leading to mass casualties due to ineffective human wave tactics. Ukraine also confirmed that North Korean casualties had reached 4,000, adding, "They do not value their own citizens."
Lee Hyun-seung, a former North Korean military officer and researcher at the Global Peace Foundation, pointed to decades of food shortages, lack of supplies and equipment, and inadequate training as key reasons for the high number of casualties. Bruce Bennett, a senior researcher at the RAND Corporation, also cited North Korean combat tactics and communication issues with Russian forces as major factors. He further noted that Russian forces are indifferent to North Korean troop losses and are sending them into infantry assaults, leaving them exposed to Ukrainian attacks. He warned that at this rate, by April, most of the 10,000 North Korean troops could be either killed or wounded. Experts speculate that North Korea may deploy additional artillery and ballistic missile units.
2025.1.26. VOA / Read Article
▶ ▶ Prayer Requests
"For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted." (Psalm 9:12)
○The UK Ministry of Defense has reported that 4,000 North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia have become casualties, with 1,000 killed. U.S. experts predict that by April, the number of casualties could exceed 10,000. Lord, intervene so that there are no more North Korean military casualties, prevent additional troop deployments, and bring a swift end to the war.
○Lord, have mercy on the North Korean soldiers who have been deceived by Kim Jong-un's murderous dictatorship and forced into battle in Kursk, Russia, without even understanding why. Protect their lives, heal the wounded so they can recover quickly, and prevent them from being sent back into combat.
3. On the Day Kim Jong-un Showcased His Nuclear Facility, White House Reaffirms Commitment to North Korea’s Complete Denuclearization
▶ ▶ Article Summary
On the same day Kim Jong-un unveiled a new uranium enrichment facility in an attempt to pressure the U.S., the White House stated its commitment to the “complete denuclearization of North Korea.”
Last September, Kim also revealed a highly enriched uranium production site suspected to be the Kangson nuclear complex near Pyongyang. Experts suggest that this new facility is likely a separate enrichment site, as its flooring and ceiling materials differ from those previously disclosed. Uranium enrichment facilities are particularly concerning to the U.S. due to their difficulty in detection through heat sensors, making them easier to conceal. This move by Kim Jong-un is widely interpreted as a strategic message to the U.S.
However, despite his nuclear demonstration, Kim refrained from directly criticizing the U.S. president, leaving room for dialogue. Around the same time as North Korea's report, White House National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes stated, “President Trump, as in his first term, remains committed to the complete denuclearization of North Korea.” This remark may serve as a reminder that Kim Jong-un himself had pledged “complete denuclearization” during Trump’s first term, pressuring him to honor that commitment.
2025.1.31. JoongAng Ilbo / Read Article
▶ ▶ Prayer Requests
"All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands." (1 Samuel 17:47)
○On January 29, Kim Jong-un showcased a new uranium enrichment facility in an attempt to pressure the U.S., while the White House reaffirmed its pursuit of North Korea’s complete denuclearization. Righteous and gracious God, may the hereditary dictatorship of Kim Jong-un, which drains the blood of its people to develop nuclear missile programs, come to an end swiftly. Establish a leadership in North Korea that prioritizes the lives, human rights, and well-being of its people, ensuring their basic needs are met.
○May the U.S.-South Korea alliance and trilateral security cooperation with Japan function effectively to uphold peace on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia. Let the North Korea policy of the second Trump administration lead to improvements in human rights and denuclearization in North Korea, ultimately advancing the cause of a unified Korea under a free democracy and the gospel.
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