DALLAS (ABP) — The political uncertainty surrounding North Korea in the wake of an apparent nuclear test should not adversely affect Baptist hunger-relief ministry there, according to a Dallas pastor who recently returned from the communist country.
On Oct. 9, North Korea announced it had conducted its first nuclear test. American intelligence officials have yet to confirm the claim, but a U.S. reconnaissance plane left Oct. 10 to collect possible airborne radioactive substances near North Korea, the Associated Press reported.
In response to the apparent nuclear activity, the United Nations Security Council continues to consider placing sanctions on the country. The United States and Japan have called on other countries to threaten the use of force against North Korea in order to show dictator Kim Jong-il that the international community will strongly oppose nuclear activity.
China, Russia and South Korea do not support the idea of force, although leaders from China said some form of punishment should be given.
Yoo Yoon, who recently returned from his eleventh trip delivering large amounts of food to North Koreans, said the political standoff between North Korea and the United Nations should not stop future relief efforts in the country.
The pastor of Glory Korean Church in Dallas, Yoon said the relief effort is driven by a desire to meet the needs of North Koreans and to spread the gospel, not by politics. He traveled to North Korea with support from Texas Baptist Men, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Korean Sharing Movement of Dallas.
“We want to share our love of Christ at the same time,” Yoon said. “We want to share our blessings. We want to share the gospel.”
During his most recent trip, Yoon delivered $34,000-worth of flour, milk and cloth to make hospital gowns to Hwe Ryong City in northern North Korea. Many people are starving in North Korea because governmental food rations are not adequate. The economy, based on a socialist model, has suffered and stalled in recent years. Kim Jong-il spends large amounts of government money on military development, and factories and manufacturing plants are publicly owned.
North Korea, which borders China, Russia, South Korea and Japan, has outlawed religion, especially Christianity, since it is perceived as having close ties to the United States.
Human-rights groups consistently list North Korea as one of the worst human rights violators in the world. It restricts practically all freedom and has fostered countless reports about large-scale detention camps with forced labor, torture, starvation, rape and murder.
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— Hannah Elliott contributed to this story.