NORTH KOREA: Christians Suffer Under COVID-19

Source: Open Doors, August 28, 2020

The “ghost disease.” That’s what North Koreans call COVID-19. “People can be sick without knowing it,” [said] Brother Simon, Open Doors’ coordinator for ministry among North Koreans. “They are usually malnourished already. Then suddenly, they die quickly. Some even just fall dead on the ground. It’s an invisible killer.”

“The central government and local authorities are very fearful of the spread of coronavirus. The only thing they can do is impose lockdowns. Many marketplaces are closed down, even though the population is completely dependent on the black markets. But even if [the markets were] open, there’s little food you can buy. And prices have quadrupled. It will cost you multiple months’ salary to buy a kilo of rice. The border with China is closed, which prevents most trade and smuggling activities.”

2020 has been a very difficult year for North Koreans, according to secret Christians who have shared with Brother Simon’s team and contacts. “It’s not just the coronavirus, the lockdowns, the little food, and the unaffordable prices that [affect] the people,” Brother Simon says. “They have also seen heavy rainfall, mudslides, and now a heat wave. North Koreans are really suffering this year.”

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