Christians in North Korea Face More Uncertainty After New Sanctions Imposed

Religion Today | Published: Mar 08, 2013

Christians in North Korea Face More Uncertainty After New Sanctions Imposed

A fresh set of sanctions agreed by the United Nations this week will impose further restrictions on North Korea and increasingly limit its ability to function in the international community. According to Open Doors USA, Christians also could be impacted as uncertainty and threats of attacks against the United States and South Korea increase. The new resolution instructs North Korea to cease all nuclear and missile testing. It contains measures that will block financial transactions, impound cash, empower countries to inspect suspicious cargo, and expand a blacklist of items that North Korea is prohibited from importing. The sanctions place new constraints on North Korean diplomats, raising their risk of expulsion, but they do not allow countries to stop and inspect North Korean shipments on the high seas or force down aircraft suspected of moving contraband -- acts that could set off a violent confrontation. "The situation is unclear, North Korea may not be allowed to receive any form of external assistance anymore," said a member of the Open Doors field team. "But since Open Doors does not have any 'above ground' projects, the immediate future of our work should not be impacted by the new sanctions. We work in secret and will continue to do so." North Korea has been No. 1 on the Open Doors World Watch List of the worst persecutors of believers for 11 years in a row.



Christians in North Korea Face More Uncertainty After New Sanctions Imposed