Toddler Jailed For Life In North Korea After Parents Found With A Bible

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According to the latest International Religious Freedom Report from the US State Department, a little child in North Korea was sentenced to life in prison after their parents were discovered carrying a Bible.

The two-year-old victim's family members have all been imprisoned along with their life terms in a prison camp.

A recent investigation detailing numerous instances of North Koreans being executed for their Christian faith, including the execution by firing squad of a lady and her grandchild in 2011, described their narrative.

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In a publication that summarizes the findings of numerous non-governmental organizations (NGOs), human rights organizations, and the United Nations, it is estimated that up to 70,000 Christians—out of a potential population of 400,000—are imprisoned under the Kim Jong-un regime because of their faith.

In one instance, a member of the ruling party who was discovered to be in possession of a Bible was put to death at Hyesan Airfield in front of 3,000 spectators.

Others were allegedly subjected to pigeon torture, which involves hanging victims with their hands tied behind their backs for days on end while preventing them from sitting or standing.

Ray Cunningham via Pen News

“It was the most painful of all tortures,” one victim said. “It was so painful that I felt it was better to die.”

Others were made to endure sleep deprivation, and in 2020, a Christian lady in solitary confinement committed suicide as a result of the jail guards' refusal to allow her to get sleep.

Others endured beatings, malnutrition, dehydration, contaminated food, and being forced to hold excruciating positions for extended periods of time.

North Korea has claimed that its constitution ensures the right to practice one's religion and has provided evidence in the form of churches it has built-in Pyongyang.

According to the current report, one defector stated people may be jailed for lingering too long outside the churches and listening to music from within—or even for routinely driving past them—and that these places of worship serve only as "showpieces for foreigners."

While attending a service at Chilgol Protestant Church in Pyongyang, Ray Cunningham, from Homer in the US state of Illinois, paid a visit.

He told Pen News: “I came away wondering just how real this is. Are the services regular? The church seems maintained but is it a regular event? In the society, you see no evidence of religious activity – except for Buddhism.”

“It feels real but like many things indeed it may be somewhat of a show for tourists. In this case, it might be a mixture of showmanship and a few elderly Christians in the area.”

He added that no children attended the services and highlighted that: “The congregation was made up of older men – all seemingly over 65 – and women over 40.”

“What you did not see were children or young working-age people.”

According to the report, many North Korean Christians genuinely keep their beliefs a secret from their kids. This claim was supported by the observation of one NGO, Open Doors USA (ODUSA), which stated: "A Christian is never safe. Any indication of faith in a parent's house should be reported to the teacher by the students.”

According to Korea Future, a different NGO, students are also taught about the "evil deeds" of Christian missionaries, such as "rape, blood-sucking, organ harvesting, murder, and espionage."

The report explained: “One defector told Korea Future that the government published graphic novels in which Christians coaxed children into churches and took them to the basement to draw their blood.”

While the majority of the incidences of religious persecution reported by Korea Future targeted people who practiced shamanism, Christianity typically resulted in the worst punishments.

According to the report, this is due to the perception of Christians as a "hostile class" and a "serious threat to loyalty to the state."