Posted on 12/27/2009 7:50:33 AM PST by don-o
What could a free man hope to accomplish by crossing without permission into North Korea, to ask its rulers to repent, close the prison camps and free the people? Robert Park, a young American of Korean descent made exactly that crossing on Christmas day, walking from China into North Korea across the frozen Tumen River. There are reports that as he crossed, he called out, “I came here to proclaim God’s love.”
A manifesto attributed to Park, leader of a Christian group advocating human rights for North Koreans, includes the statement: “All we are asking is for all North Koreans to be free, safe and have life.”
Chances are nil that North Korea’s regime will receive Park in that spirit. North Korea-watcher Joshua Stanton, who includes the full text of the above manifesto on his well-informed One Free Korea blog, worries with good reason that Park will become yet another pawn in the endless extortion rackets and depravities of North Korean “diplomacy.” Park reportedly said before he went in to North Korea that he did not want to be ransomed by the U.S. government. But based on dismal experience — recall Bill Clinton’s Pyongyang trip in August to pick up the detained Laura Ling and Euna Lee – Stanton fears that already “junior and has-been diplomats all along the Eastern Seaboard are imagining themselves escorting Robert Park up the steps of a charter flight at Sunan Airport, having left behind enough ransom aid to run a small concentration camp for years.”
(Excerpt) Read more at pajamasmedia.com ...
Those who call themselves Christian are called to obey God, whether it is helping their neighbor mow their lawn or walking into North Korea. Every believer is called to do different things. Only God knows what each person is capable of doing. And He knows this perfectly.
If and when he gets caught by the NK authorities, they will have a show trial, conviction, and issue a lengthy prison sentence. Then a ransom will be paid to get him out of there, and that money will be used to strengthen and prolong the murderous regime Mr. Park was protesting in the first place.
And he was heard 'round the world. His proclamation has upset many of God's enemies. They're squealing like stuck pigs.
God bless Mr. Park.
A brave man, a modern Daniel in the lion’s den.
While I support his cause, and think he’s very brave for doing this, there are much more effective ways to call to attention North Korea’s human rights violations. This is dangerous and will get him nowhere.
HE is either a saint or a nut case.
If he is delusional, heaven help him.
But if he is a saint, heaven will help him in another way, even if they murder him or jail him. His visit may not convert the heathen, (even Franicis of Assisi didn’t convert the Saladin) but like Francis, his visit will strengthen those being persecuted.
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