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A BROTHER IMPRISONED How American Missionary Kenneth Bae Is Holding Fast to Hope in a North Korean Labor Camp For most Americans, North Korea is one of the last places in the world they could ever imagine visiting. Simply owning a Bible is punishable by death, Christianity is illegal, and it’s believed that as many as 50,000 Christians are being held in unimaginably horrific prison camps across the country. Yet in November 2012, that’s exactly where Kenneth Bae, a devout Christian from Lynnwood, Washington, found himself. Kenneth was leading his 18th tour group into North Korea, and neither he nor his family could have known that this trip would be far different from the 17 that came before.
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Kenneth Bae has taken tours of Christians into North Korea 17 times. On the 18th trip, he was arrested and detained by North Korean authorities. Kenneth’s tour groups were always legally registered, and according to his family, he was always very careful to respect North Korean laws. But the tour groups were also often made up of other Christians, and sometimes Kenneth would be so bold as to lead them in times of prayer during their tours, which is strictly prohibited for citizens within North Korea. Ultimately, it proved to be Kenneth’s identity as a Christian that led to what happened next. On November 3, North Korean authorities arrested Kenneth. A little over a month later, news finally started to reach the rest of the world that an American citizen had been detained in a country widely known for its brutal family of dictators and its threats to start a nuclear war. On December 21, North Korea announced it was officially charging the missionary with plotting to overthrow the government based on a sermon he had given years before at a church in the U.S. Five months later in May 2013, Kenneth was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. Initially, everyone expected Kenneth to be released quickly, but this was
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not so. As the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, the news coming from Pyongyang became more and more alarming. Kenneth was reportedly suffering from serious health issues, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and back pain. In August, just three months after being sentenced to a labor camp, Kenneth was moved to a hospital for treatment. His sister, Terri Chung, reported that he had lost more than 50 pounds. After spending almost six months in the hospital, Kenneth was deported back to a “Special Labor Camp,” where he is now living and forced to do hard labor eight hours a day, six days a week. In an interview just a few weeks later, Kenneth was noticeably thinner and talks about his health continuing to deteriorate. Yet, despite being watched closely by guards listening to every word, Kenneth also asks the interviewer to tell his family, “I have not lost hope and I have not given up on anything.” Kenneth with North Korean children from one of his visits. Photo courtesy of www.freekennow.com.
For Terri, Kenneth’s resolve isn’t surprising. “[Kenneth] is not one to get easily discouraged,” Terri said in an interview with ICC. In fact, according to Terri, this time in prison may have even strengthened his walk with God. A few months after his imprisonment, Kenneth’s family was actually able to get a Bible delivered to him in prison, no small miracle in a nation where Bibles are completely illegal. For months, this was the only thing he had available to read. “He actually told my mom when she was there (to visit), that this time has been good in some ways. He’s been able to read through the Bible multiple times and says that this time with God has been really great,” Terri said.
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“I HAVE NOT LOST HOPE AND I HAVE NOT GIVEN UP ON ANYTHING.” -KENNETH BAE, A MESSAGE TO HIS FAMILY Pictured: Kenneth Bae with his daughter.
What’s more, Terri says that Kenneth not only believes there is a greater purpose behind his imprisonment, but that his love for the people of North Korea has not diminished. She said, “He firmly believes that there is a purpose to all this, that God is using him for a larger reason. He doesn’t have any ill-will towards North Koreans. He still really wants to help them in some way. He sincerely hopes that he can actually be a bridge between the two countries.” In the meantime, the rest of the world continues to watch anxiously for any breakthrough in Kenneth’s case. Twice the North Koreans have invited a U.S. ambassador to come and discuss his release, and twice the invitation has been rescinded. In February, President Obama even mentioned Kenneth by name, saying that he was praying for him and that the United States would “continue to do everything in our power to secure his release because Kenneth Bae deserves to be free.” While no one can be sure of when Kenneth will be freed, one thing is certain: today, in the capital of the most dangerous nation on earth for Christians, at least one man is sitting there, quietly reading his Bible openly, and silently witnessing to all those around him of the hope that can only come from God.
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