A real look at ministry with North Koreans (Part 1)

Brother Sung-Eun* is a quiet man. Some would describe him as withdrawn. Others would say he blends easily into a crowd.

But in his line of work, those are good qualities.

Brother Sung-Eun is an Open Doors fieldworker who works with North Koreans in a nearby country—his work is so dangerous we can’t tell you exactly where. For him, getting through the day unnoticed is 90% of his job.

But that is becoming increasingly difficult. North Korea has the most advanced population monitoring system in the world. It continues to dispatch agents to infiltrate any network that might be involved in helping defectors.

Not long ago, those agents tracked down one of Sung-Eun’s team members, and he had to go into hiding. However, God protected him and his family. They were reunited and he was able to resume his work from a different area.

“It taught me that God deeply cares about this work and lovingly protects those who serve Him,” Sung-Eun says. “He had already provided what we needed. We have witnessed many times how God resolves situations that cannot be resolved by human means.”

Streets of Wonsan, North Korea

Finding trust in dangerous places

Sung-Eun explains the purpose of his work. “Our ministry is focused on North Koreans who are away from home and in need of help,” he explains. “We look for them and arrange discreet meetings to share the gospel. For those in crisis, we provide shelter and practical help for their daily needs. Over time, that care grows into genuine relationships, and many of the people we meet come to faith.”

One of the words he uses is essential to his ministry: “discreet.” It means meeting another person in a way that will never look suspicious. He and other fieldworkers need to blend in as much as possible.

“North Koreans are suspicious of almost everyone,” he says. “The closer someone is to where they come from, the more likely they are to trust. Working through local people is therefore vital. Even when we have built trust, it is still possible that we are being watched. So, we have to be careful.”

Even with all these precautions in place, there is a limit to what Sung-Eun can do, for the sake of both for his own safety but also for the safety of the people he tries to help.

“There are many times when we simply cannot act as we would like, and that leaves us frustrated and weighed down,” he explains. “But these are not obstacles that can be overcome by human effort alone, and that is why this ministry depends on the power of prayer more than anything else.”

A Bible study session with North Korean ladies

“Every encounter could be the last one”

Every secret meeting is extremely dangerous.

“We take extra precautions every time because that meeting can cost them their life if it is ever discovered,” Sung-Eun shares. “They can be sent to a prison camp. So these meetings are mostly very short. And we never know whether we will have the chance to meet that person again, so we share the gospel knowing that every encounter could be the last one.”

The words of Brother Andrew—“ God’s Smuggler” and founder of Open Doors—are relevant in these cases: “We have no choice but to share the gospel with this thought in mind: ‘I may be the first and last Christian this person will ever meet in their lifetime.’”

Almost no North Korean arrives wanting to hear what Sung-Eun and other fieldworkers are desperate to share. “Most of them come because they need material assistance and feel they have no other choice. But when we share the gospel with a clear sense of purpose, they seem to sense that purpose too,” he says.

“At the beginning, they can be reserved, and sometimes they push us away. But as time passes, we begin to notice that the Word is finding its way into their hearts. When they start to listen seriously and to understand what they are hearing, we can feel the atmosphere change.”

Sung-Eun’s sharing will continue... In the next article, he will explain how the Scriptures guide his work, as well as share some precious moments in his work. Please stay tuned!  *Name changed for security reasons

please pray

• Pray for God’s daily protection to Sung-Eun and other fieldworkers from all harms
• Pray that these fieldworkers will meet the right person to share the gospel
• Pray that God will open the hearts of those who hear the gospel to receive and accept the good news

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