In a statement at the United Nations last week, So Se Pyong, the North Korean ambassador to the UN in Geneva, identified his country’s main enemies: Christians.
The statement came at a session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva reviewing the human rights situation in North Korea, which followed the release of a UN report in February documenting widespread violation of human rights and dignity inside North Korea.
In response to the inquiry, which the UN conducts for every member country at least every four years, North Korea’s delegation blamed Christians:
"There are in the northeastern area of China so-called churches and priests exclusively engaged in hostile acts against the DPRK. They indoctrinate the illegal border crossers with anti-DPRK ideology and send them back to the DPRK with assignments of subversion, destruction, human trafficking and even terrorist acts," it said.
“The significance of North Korea’s comments cannot be overstated,” says Rev. Eric Foley, CEO of VOM’s project partner for North Korea, Seoul-USA. “North Korea is choosing to publicly blame Christian missionaries for its human rights problems and internal difficulties.” VOM and Seoul-USA cooperate to sponsor discipleship bases reaching North Koreans across Asia.