North Korea: 'no change' despite likely illness of Kim Jong-il
Sep 30 2008
Postings >> North Korea

Hopes of reform in North Korea are probably premature, warned RI sources, following news that dictator Kim Jong-il may be seriously ill.

The North Korean premier, who has not been seen in public for weeks, is believed to have suffered an 'acute' illness, possibly a stroke, in late August.

But The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) USA warns that changes in policy are not expected and life for North Korea's persecuted Christians is unlikely to improve in the near future.

'It is reasonably certain that no change in the North Korean power structure has occurred and there are no signs that such a change is imminent,' said a VOM spokesperson overseeing the organisation's work in North Korea.

Kim Jong-il, the focus of a personality cult on which the totalitarian regime is founded, is said to be still 'aware and interactive with those around him'. Particularly harsh treatment is reserved for North Korean Christians whom the authorities consider enemies of the state.

(Source: The Voice of the Martyrs USA)

Ask God to help North Korean Christians place their hope in Him, their Saviour.

Pray that Kim Jong-il's illness will lead him to reflect on the brutality of his regime.