Loren Cunningham, co-founder of Youth With A Mission (YWAM), urges South Korean Christians to not hesitate in sending Bibles to North Korea.

 

At this year’s Korean World Mission Conference in Chicago, Cunningham encouraged South Korean Christians to start sending Bibles to North Korea now, rather than waiting for the so-called “Hermit Kingdom” to open.

 

Cunningham made his appeal to top evangelical leaders and famous Korean pastors attending the quadrennial meeting of largest gathering of Korean missionaries worldwide.

 

He delivered a message titled "Send Me," in which he explained that the near absence of Bibles in North Korea would leave an ethical and moral vacuum in the country upon the fall of communism there. Cunningham predicts that unless this situation changes, many young North Korean men and women will fall into vice and corruption when North Korea eventually falls.

 

Cunningham emphasized his hope that God will use South Korea’s strength in internet and telecommunications to help South Korea be effective in delivering the Gospel to North Korea, and rapidly and effectively throughout today’s digital world.  

 

The need for Bibles in communist North Korea, where Bibles are banned, is widely known to be critical. Universally recognized as one of the most hostile environments for Christians, North Korea severely restricts religious practice, while the cult of personality created by national founder Kim Il Sung amounts to the state religion.

 

Although North Korea’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion, people who violate religious restrictions often face harsh penalties, like by being falsely accused of crimes such as espionage.

 

Nevertheless, tens of thousands of North Koreans are thought to practice Christianity underground – at extreme personal danger, according to activists and defectors.

 

North Korea is a nation where Christianity once thrived and where the capital, Pyongyang, was known for the prevalence of the Christian faith.