Check It Out: A seed of hope planted in North Korean hearts
By Joan Janzen
joanjanzen@yahoo.com
N Korea: 1.3 million soldiers; US has 1.4 million soldiers.
A man and his wife were sound asleep at 5 in the morning, when the husband felt the soft nudge of his dog’s nose repeatedly pushing his hand. Thinking his dog needed to go outside, the husband dragged himself out of bed. He put on his robe and slippers, but when he turned oround he discovered his dog was curled up in bed beside his wife. That dog knew how to get what he wanted.
In order to get what she wanted, Yeonmi Park escaped from her home in North Korea over a decade ago. Yeonmi wanted freedom, and more importantly she wanted food to eat. Now she resides in the United States and enjoys both food and freedom, and uses her freedom to inform North Americans about what is really going on in North Korea.
Her people are trapped in the country, and are denied any communication with the outside world. They are fed a constant stream of propaganda from their dictator, and dare not oppose him in any way. But recently, a group of North Korean soldiers decided to disobey orders.
North Koreans must join the military for a ten year period, in which time they are not allowed to see their families. Yeonmi said these soldiers are basically labourers, building dams, working on farms with primitive conditions, and working on construction sites with no safety precautions. But after their ten years of service are over they are allowed to return to their families, if they have managed to survive during this time.
During Kim Jong-Un’s leadership, North Korea’s economy has gotten progressively worse. Even the stores which provide for foreigners don’t have basic food supplies, while North Koreans are starving. The Ambassador to North Korea from Russia complained, as a foreigner, he couldn’t even buy basic groceries at North Korea.
The dictator cast the blame for the sad state of the economy on the congress. His solution involved the 1.3 million active soldiers in the military. After their ten years of service had ended, Kim Jong-Un ordered they be sent to the collective farms and mines to work for the remainder of their lives. As farmers and workers in the mines, these labourers would receive nothing for their labour. This tiny nation has 1.3 million military soldiers. In comparison the United States has 1.4 million military soldiers.
For the first time ever, 1500 soldiers decided to fight for their rights and not follow the orders, resisting the dictator. A coup took place in a city located 35 kms from the capital city.
The younger generation doesn’t have the same loyalty as the older generation, and these soldiers began firing guns which they had hidden. It is a serious crime to have a gun in North Korea, and they were quickly captured. But they realized it’s better to risk their lives for the cause of freedom than be a slave under a dictatorship.
Yeonmi said, “I’m grateful my people are finally realizing how precious freedom is and are paying the price and fighting for it. It was a little seed of hope planted in North Korean’s hearts.” As someone who has experienced life without freedom of speech or freedom to live and prosper, Yeonmi is well aware of its value.
You can contact me at joanjanzen@yahoo.com