The Voice That Called Ji-Ho: Barbed Wire Won’t Stop Radio in North Korea

Open Doors’ radio work also reaches North Korea, which is strictly closed to the Gospel. The story of Ji-Ho* is based on real stories of Christians living in this country. Details have been changed to protect individuals and locations. The article shows what daily life is really like for Christians in North Korea.

Ji-Ho says:

When I opened the gate of my house that day, I heard screams and saw men digging in the garden with shovels. There were more men inside, shouting at my father. I couldn’t help but shout “Appa!” (Father in Korean) and rushed into the room. I saw my father crouched in the corner and ran to hug him.

Representatives of the State Security Service asked him questions and accused him. They wanted to know if my father had a radio and a secret book and searched the whole house.

They could not find the radio, perhaps because they did not dare touch the photographs of Dear Leader. My father always joked that his illicit connection to the outside world was hidden behind a photo of Kim Jong-un hanging on the wall. He knew that the police would not dare to touch him.

While the men were digging in our small garden, they found a book wrapped in plastic. One of the policemen entered triumphantly, holding it in his hands. He knocked over the back of our table, the dishes flew everywhere, and he threw the book at my father’s feet. Both my father and I cried.

At that moment we knew that we would never see each other again. The men kicked my father out. I followed them. I was too stupid to do anything other than cry quietly. I took one last look at my father at the door when the police took him away. The gate slammed shut and I was left completely alone.

Secret teachings

I didn’t know where they took my father. And I’ll probably never know. I knew radio was dangerous. My father purchased a small receiver and tried to receive news from outside North Korea. He wanted to know if there was anything to eat. He thought that perhaps there was food in China and he could get across the border.

My father was also not sure of the veracity of the information on the state radio about news about our country’s harvest. He often stayed up late at night listening to foreign radio broadcasts. The goal was to obtain new information that would help us survive. He said the risk was worth it.

However, we both knew that if he was caught, he would be arrested.

I didn’t understand what was so bad about my father’s secret book. He loved to read me stories and proverbs from this book.

“A wise man sat on a mountain and began to teach,” my father told me one evening. “The man said: “When salt loses its taste, it is no longer good for anything.” People are like salt. When we lose kindness towards others, we lose our humanity. Always stay salty, Ji-Ho.”

I didn’t know what the story or the words meant, but I remembered them. Why was teaching kindness in North Korea so dangerous?

Amazing message

As I got older, the pain of losing my father lessened. It never completely disappeared. But I had more pressing concerns, like finding food and surviving.

I started listening to news from the outside world on the radio, just like my father did. Perhaps the food will appear outside of North Korea. I didn’t know how to get there. If I had known this, perhaps I would not have starved to death like some of my neighbors.

I also planted vegetables in our garden. Officially this was prohibited. No one seemed to care. We haven’t received a regular meal plan from work for months.

When I was in my twenties, my nightly routine included the radio and the garden. When I came home from work on a farm outside the village, I visited the garden. I picked some potatoes or cabbage and ate my meager dinner while listening to the radio.

I’ve never heard of takeaway. Listening to the radio was still a pleasure, as I had seen my father do many times.

One night I picked up the walkie-talkie to find stations I hadn’t listened to before. On the Korean station I found, the speaker was saying something completely different from the government programs I had heard.

“You are the salt of the earth,” the man said on the radio. “When salt loses its taste, it is no longer good for anything. These are the words of Jesus and they remind us that we must never lose our saltiness – our love for others.”

I dropped the cup. My father told me this almost verbatim many years ago. But someone named Jesus said this on the radio. Who was He? Was He the teacher my father told me about?

God has been found

Since then I listen to this station every chance I get. I heard others say from Jesus: “Man does not live by bread alone. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.”

The most amazing thing was: “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

I began to think about these teachings every day. When I saw my hungry neighbor, I heard the words of Jesus.

As I listened, I became more and more convinced of this. It was Jesus the great teacher that my father tried to tell me about. Jesus wanted to be my Lord and Savior, and I wanted to follow Him just like my father.

I began to think about these teachings every day. When I saw my hungry neighbor, I heard the words of Jesus: “Whatever you did for one of the least of My brothers, you did for Me.”

I tried to start praying, as the radio suggested. He said that we can talk to God at any time and God wants to listen to us. Sometimes it seemed like God heard my prayers and wanted me to know that He was with me.

Follow Jesus

As I learned more about Jesus, I noticed that my life changed too. I was still hungry, but I started sharing food. I thought about what Jesus said about what it means to be salt. My father told me to never lose the saltiness.

I was able to give some of the food to neighbors who didn’t have a garden. I hoped it would show them that Jesus loved them.

I know it would be dangerous to talk about Jesus. Our leaders don’t want us to worship anyone or anything other than them. I realized that this is why my father was taken away. They saw that he had a Lord who was superior to the leaders of our country.

Now I am a Christian and serve the same Jesus as my father and the radio people. I may be the only Christian in North Korea. Perhaps others also listen to the radio. I hope that one day I can meet another follower of Jesus. It would be great to talk to another person about hope and faith.

I’m listening to the radio now. It helps me and I don’t feel so alone. I learned more about Jesus and how I can better follow Him. And I’m still salt to the people around me. As my father ordered.

Open Doors operates in North Korea through its secret Chinese networks. We deliver basic necessities such as food, medicine and warm clothing to Christians in North Korea. Open Doors also broadcasts a daily radio program. This strengthens the secret church and helps the growth of the Christian faith in the country.

Financial support helps this vital work continue and grow. We seek to strengthen the approximately 400,000 Christians in North Korea who follow Jesus under constant threat of death.

*Name has been changed for security reasons.

Source: https://opendoors.fi/aani-joka-kutsui-piikkilanka-ei-pidata-radiotyota-pohjois-koreassa/