“ … human rights and denuclearization in North Korea need not be mutually exclusive endeavors.”
— David Curry, Open Doors USA president
SINGAPORE, June 12, 2018 — Open Doors USA President David Curry, in Singapore to advocate for religious freedom in North Korea, reacted to President Donald Trump discussing the topic of human rights and the plight of Christians in his summit with Kim Jong Un:
“Though we have few details of what was said, President Donald Trump’s decision to address North Korea’s human rights atrocities was diplomatically bold, and we are particularly glad to hear the president say he brought up the plight of the more than 300,000 Christians who face persecution and even death under the regime of Kim Jong Un.
In North Korea, 50,000 to 120,000 Christians have already been confined in prison camps, where conditions remain deplorable.
For the 17th consecutive year, North Korea is the No. 1 most dangerous place to be a Christian, according to the Open Doors World Watch List.
I hold out hope that human rights and denuclearization in North Korea need not be mutually exclusive endeavors.
For this reason, we are prayerfully and cautiously optimistic for our fellow Christians in North Korea, for whom there is now at least a glimmer of hope that did not exist before President Donald Trump’s meeting with the dictator.
America and its allies — indeed the entire world — must not shy away from our moral mandate to call Kim Jong Un to task for his litany of human rights abuses — especially his imprisonment, torture and execution of Christians whose only crime was to dare to express any beliefs other than those approved by the Communist regime.
The people of North Korea continue to deserve our vocal, prayerful and relentless support.
Visit OpenDoorsUSA.org/pray4northkorea to learn more about why North Korea is the worst country in the world to be a Christian.”
MEDIA RESOURCE: For interviews with Curry, pending his availability, please contact Scott Knuteson, 770.813.0000.
About Open Doors USA
For more than 60 years, Open Doors USA has worked in the world’s most oppressive and restrictive countries for Christians. Open Doors works to equip and encourage Christians living in dangerous circumstances with the threat of persecution and equips the Western church to advocate for the persecuted. Christians are one of the most persecuted religious groups in the world and are oppressed in at least 60 countries. For more information, visit OpenDoorsUSA.org.
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Contact:
Scott Knuteson
[email protected]
770.317.0499