By Brittany Sanford
For Word News

NORTH KOREA (WordNews.org) April 15, 2012 – Open Doors, a ministry to the persecuted church, is urging believers around the world to pray for Christians in North Korea today, the 100th birthday of Kim II-Sung.
Today, mass celebrations were held in Pyongyang and other cities in the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) in honor of Kim II-Sung, known as the “Great Leader.”
North Korea’s new leader, Kim Jong-Un, spoke at Pyongyang just two days after his country’s failed attempt to launch a rocket, Still, some 1.2 million members of the military marched past him during his first public appearance, The Associate Press reported.
“For Christians inside North Korea their fear has increased as the government has mandated all the people to bow down to the gods of Kim Il-Sung, Kim Jong-Il and Kim Jong-Un and participate in the celebration,” said Open Doors USA President and CEO Carl Moeller. “So scrutiny of the estimated 200,000 to 400,000 brave underground Christians has increased during the last few months. Some have been thrown into prisons. There are 50,000 to 70,000 Christians of the estimated 150,000 to 200,000 people living under horrific conditions in those prisons. Also, many North Koreans are chronically malnourished and unemployed.”
Jerry Dykstra, media relation director for Open Doors USA, said Christian parents do not teach their younger children about their religion until they are old enough to understand the possibility of facing persecution.
For more information, visit  www.worldwatchlist.us/pray-for-north-Korea.