It’s believed millions of South Koreans are praying for reunification with North Korea, 70 years after an armistice was signed to divide the two countries. Among those praying is a group called the Esther Prayer Movement.
“We are praying every night for the liberation of those Korean people [in the North], and all the country members should shout together for the freedom of those Korean people,” the movement’s founder and president Professor Lee Yong-hui told CBN News. Every night for the past 17 years, from 10pm to 3am, intercessors with the Esther Prayer Movement have gathered to pray.
Professor Lee told the Christian broadcaster he asked God to give him a heart for the people there. “Then for a few days, I cannot eat, I cannot sleep. So, I decided until those Korean people can freely listen to the Gospel and receive human rights, I will hold a prayer meeting continuously,” he explained.
Professor Lee noted that North Korea ranks among the worst countries in the world for democracy, economic freedom, freedom of speech, slavery, bribery and corruption, but when it comes to persecution of Christians it’s the worst on the planet.
“So they have no chance to listen to Gospel, they have to idolise their dictator, so we should make them free from their bondage, so we pray for them,” the professor continued. He maintained the prison camps in the north resemble Nazi death camps, especially after he saw drawings smuggled out by some of the prisoners.
A former woman prisoner who is one of the few to have ever escaped told CBN News that 70% of the inmates are Christians officially accused of spying. A man who defected told the broadcaster; “There’s people dying of starvation. They don’t have freedom of movement. They are being enslaved and they’re dying as slaves and they don’t even know what is eternal life.”
The defector added that during the covid pandemic, North Korea had no vaccines, so the people approached Christians who prayed over the sick in the name of Jesus and many were healed. He revealed those healings expedited the growth of the underground church, so the name of Jesus is getting more popular than leader Kim Jung Un and that’s why the regime is cracking down on believers.
Christian ministries with partners inside North Korea estimate the size of the underground church has doubled since the covid crisis to around 400,000 followers. South Koreans are trying to reach more with the Gospel by floating bottles filled with rice, money, and USB drives containing the Bible and Christian videos across the Han River to North Korea.
Professor Lee believes the wall between North and South Korea will fall just like the Berlin Wall. He told CBN News: ” I perfectly rely on the Lord. He is opening the door to those Koreans. So I think His proper wisdom will open the door, and I think it will happen miraculously like Berlin.” He compared this time to the time the Jews were freed from Babylon. He’s asking Christians worldwide to join in praying for the people of North Korea to be free.
