A daring group of activists is sending messages of hope, faith, and freedom into North Korea, where the Christmas celebration is banned, and religious beliefs are strictly forbidden. While the holiday season is a bonanza in the West, North Korea is an atheist state where almost nobody even knows what Christmas is. The government, led by Kim Jong-un, functions as gods under the brutal ‘Juche’ system, with other religious figures and beliefs banned to prevent any challenge to the government’s authority.
Christians in North Korea face severe consequences if caught practicing their faith, with individuals being sent to concentration camps or tortured to death. Even the celebration of Christmas is strictly controlled by Kim Jong Un, who has demanded all citizens pay tribute to his grandmother’s birthday on December 24, further impeding the acknowledgment of Christmas in the nation.
South Korea has shown solidarity with North Korean citizens by lighting up a sixty-foot-tall Christmas tree on its side of the demilitarized zone, a move that was deemed “psychological warfare” by the North Korean government. Additionally, Kim Jong-un has prohibited gatherings that involve alcohol and singing, further restricting the ability of people in the country to celebrate anything beyond the North Korean government and its leaders.
In an effort to bring hope and information to the people of North Korea, the North Korean Freedom Coalition has launched bottles filled with flash drives, containing Bible passages, into the Yellow Sea, with the hope that the currents will carry them to the shores of the North Korean peninsula. Each bottle is also packed with rice to feed a family for a week, and a US one-dollar bill, along with a Christmas message emphasizing the importance and history of the holiday.
This operation, known as “Operation Truth,” is modeled after the Berlin Airlift and aims to get critical help to the starving people of North Korea. Suzanne Scholte, chair of the Washington, D.C. organization, emphasized the importance of getting information into North Korea by land, sea, and air, to show the people in power in Pyongyang that they have friends and allies in Korea and America who desire to share the benefits of a free and better life with them.
The effort involves multiple North Korean escapees who are launching the messages back to their impoverished homeland, and the flash drives contain North Korean music with altered lyrics, religious messages, and recorded words from members of Congress touting freedom for the North Korean people. This initiative also supports Free North Korea Radio, a station that broadcasts news and information into North Korea, despite attempts by the dictatorship to jam its programming.
The activists and escapees involved in this effort are hopeful that their messages of hope, faith, and freedom will reach the people of North Korea, providing them with a glimpse of the world beyond their oppressive regime and the opportunity to pursue a better future.
