Freed Christian Pastor Describes North Korean Labor Camp Conditions

Persecution Watchdog Groups Describe North Korea as the Worst Persecutor of Christians in the World 

By Stoyan Zaimov 

Christian Post

Rev. Hyeon Soo Lim, the Christian pastor who last week was freed and returned home to Canada, revealed what he had to suffer through at the North Korean labor camp where he was held.

"During the winter, I had to dig holes that measured one meter wide and one meter deep," Lim said on Sunday upon his return to Light Korean Presbyterian Church in Mississauga, Ontario.

"The ground was frozen. The mud was so hard that it took two days to dig one hole. It was incredibly challenging. My upper body was sweating. My fingers and toes were frostbitten," he recalled, according to The Globe and Mail.

As Reuters reported, Lim was held for more than two years in North Korea after originally being sentenced to hard labor for life in December 2015, accused of attempting to overthrow Kim Jon Un's regime.

Lim spoke before his church on Sunday for the first time since his release. He thanked the Canadian government for its assistance, including National Security Adviser Daniel Jean, who visited North Korea to ask for his freedom.

"It's a miracle for me to be here today," the pastor said in Korean. "I always knew Canada was a very warm and compassionate nation, but through my ordeal I really began to grasp that very deeply."

Lim further revealed that he suffered from "overwhelming loneliness" while in prison, explaining that he ate 2,757 meals in isolation and worshiped alone for 130 Sundays.

Additionally, he read more than 100 books and watched many propaganda films about North Korea's history, which he said allowed him to "grasp and gain a deeper understanding of the 70-year history that formed the nation."

The pastor was made to confess to "indescribable treason" back in 2015 for writing biblical phrases and the name of his church on sacks of food, which the government said represented efforts to try and overthrow the Kim regime.

Senior Pastor Jason Noh said that he was not sure what Lim's role at the church will now be, but said that the congregation's "prayers were answered."

Christian Post continues

Blogger's note: Persecution Unveiled has posted many reports of Christian persecution from various watch groups.  Visit Open Doors that ranks the top 50 countries persecuting Christians.

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