The Bible is “the most dangerous book on Earth,” George Bernard Shaw famously warned a century ago. Today, Shaw’s words ring true””literally””for the 24 million people of North Korea. Possession of a Bible is a one-way ticket to the gulag or worse.
The worst came true this month for a handful of North Koreans who were caught with Bibles, which are outlawed by the communist regime. The Christians were among a group of 80 North Koreans who were executed by firing squad on Sunday, Nov. 3, according to a report in the South Korean daily, JoongAng Ilbo. Those put to death also included North Koreans accused of watching South Korean DVDs that had been smuggled into the North, or of distributing pornography. The ruling Kim family regime controls every aspect of citizens’ lives, including what information reaches them from the world outside North Korea’s borders. Bibles, foreign DVDs, the Internet, cellphones that can make international calls””all are banned.
The executions were public and took place in seven cities across the country, according to the JoongAng Ilbo.
Elves, I tried to access the full article, but apparently it has been blocked.
It is apparently subscriber only, #1, because I can see it.