Following Jesus in North Korea is so dangerous, it should be impossible—except with God, all things are possible.
KINDNESS OF A STRANGER
Eun-Yeong* was terrified. Crouching in the undergrowth, she watched the man approach. “Get away from us,” she cried in fear. “Leave us alone!”
Eun-Yeong and her partner Cheol-Ho* had just made the perilous journey to escape North Korea. This stranger could send them back. As defectors, they would face severe punishment including torture and even death.
The man didn’t brandish a weapon or make any hostile moves. Instead, he placed a bag of food and water on the forest floor. He also left blankets and shelter and promised to return.
The next night, as Eun-Yeong ate delicious white rice delivered by the kind stranger, she couldn’t help but ask the stranger why he showed them kindness.
“It’s because of a man named Jesus,” came Evangelist Cho’s reply. “He is the Son of God, and He loves you very much. In fact, I brought you a book about Him…”
A MAN NAMED JESUS
For years, Evangelist Cho had been helping North Korean refugees like this young couple. Every day, he hiked through the mountain forests. His mission? “To save souls,” Cho said.
But like most North Koreans he met, Eun-Yeong and Cheol-Ho had been taught to hate religion. Christianity is dangerous and evil, the regime insisted, and foreign missionaries poison children and steal their organs.
And yet, Evangelist Cho’s steadfast care challenged this couple’s assumptions. In their makeshift tent on the North Korean border, Eun-Yeong and Cheol-Ho started reading the Bible.
One day, Cho visited with his usual delivery of food. Eun-Yeong ran to meet him. “I had a dream,” she said breathlessly. “A person called me by name, and I think it was the Jesus this book talks about. I want to know more. What can you tell me?”
Evangelist Cho smiled. This couple’s lives were about to change forever.
A SAFE PLACE
Cho took Eun-Yeong and Cheol-Ho to an Open Doors’ safehouse. Here, North Korean refugees receive food, and care, and have an opportunity to learn about Jesus. Eun-Yeong and Cheol-Ho threw themselves into Bible study. They gave their lives to Christ and then Eun-Yeong made an astonishing announcement: “God is calling us to return to North Korea, to share our newfound faith with people desperately in need of the gospel.”
It could mean extreme danger. North Korea has been top, or near the top, of the World Watch List for more than 20 years. Christianity is completely forbidden, and owning a Bible can mean a death sentence. If a secret believer is discovered, he or she may face torture, interrogation, life in a labour camp, or death.
But despite the risk, we estimate there are more than 400,000 Christians in North Korea. They operate in secret, and meet in small, trusted groups. Now, Eun-Yeong and Cheol-Ho are among them.
One year after Cho first met Eun-Yeong and Cheol-Ho, he received a coded message from inside North Korea. It simply said: “Our family has grown to five.”
In human terms, faith shouldn’t be possible in North Korea. Yet, even here, the Lord is at work. Right now, people like Cho are waiting along the border to share the good news with fleeing refugees. Our secret network of safe houses can support thousands of people with relief aid and pastoral care. Christians who plan to return to North Korea can receive vital biblical training from Open Doors partners. And while some believers might re-visit a safe house in future, for many, this may be only chance to hear the gospel.
None of this ministry can happen without you or evangelists like Cho, who count it an honour to be part of God’s impossible plan.
You can learn more about the latest World Watch List 2026 top 50 countries here.
