One of the reasons why women who are sex-trafficked to China from North Korea stay trapped is that they generally do not have any valid form of ID. Sometimes, a trafficked NK woman’s Chinese husband (i.e. the man who purchased her) will control her by threatening to report her to the police, who may very well imprison her and repatriate her to North Korea, where she will face further interrogation, and possible imprisonment.

These days, safety and security measures on travel put in place by regional governments are so strict that it is not possible to even go to the market without an ID card, making it difficult for NK women to buy food. As a result, rates of food insecurity and even starvation have increased among North Korean defectors in China.

Through your help, we were able to expand our outreach to these women by providing them with ministry care packs. These care packs, which included food and MP3 players, were sent to 102 sex-trafficked women who live in different areas all over China.

Sister Yeon-Jeong grew up in North Korea, being cursed, beaten, and unloved by her mother. One day, when she was in her teens, her mother told her to sell some cotton that they had. She threatened, “If you do not sell five kilograms today, do not even consider coming back home. If you come back without selling all of the cotton, you will be beaten to death.”

That day, Sister Yeon-Jeong went from town to town, carrying cotton on her shoulder, but she could not find any willing buyers. Looking to the sky, she cried out of the fear that she would fail to sell the cotton and be killed by her mother. She cried, “If there is a God, please help me. If I cannot sell the cotton, she will beat me to death.”

At that moment, two middle-aged women walked toward her from a place nearby. One of them said, “I have to marry my daughter off, but I haven’t bought any cotton for the blankets. What should I do?” Sister Yeon-Jeong thought to herself, “Here is my chance!” and went to them to sell the cotton. She was able to sell as much as ten kilograms.

As Sister Yeon-Jeong told this testimony, she said, “I think that God heard my crying and sent His angels to me.”

In the late 2000’s, Sister Yeon-Jeong came to China with the help of a friend. Unfortunately, she fell into sex-trafficking unawares. But, by the grace of God, she was sold to a Christian family. In North Korea, she had decided that she would believe in “the greatest god” if she could make it to China. Now, after coming to China, she really did come to believe in the greatest God, just as she had decided.

Sister Yeon-Jeong came to know Jesus because her husband and in-laws believed in Jesus. She had wandered from the faith and wandered from her husband many times before in order to find a way to escape to South Korea. But, thanks to a minister in her region, she was born again and has received much love from God.

Currently, Sister Yeon-Jeong is serving as a Sunday School teacher in China. Her own children also attend Sunday school. She encouraged her children to read the Bible every day so much so that they were able to read the whole Bible in one year.

Sister Yeon-Jeong says that she is happy and grateful that, instead of going to South Korea to pursue physical comfort, she is able to raise her children as children of the Lord well in China.

• Pray for the North Korean defector women in China. – There are many North Korean women who have been sex-trafficked to China. Due to the nature of their immigration, many of them lack proper identification cards. As Chinese regional governments have set up checkpoints and require identification even in the markets, many of them do not have access to essential services and starvation rates are increasing. Please pray for God to help VOMK and our partners to provide them with ministry packs and discipleship training.
• Pray for the children of North Korean defectors in China– Because they live in constant fear of being imprisoned and repatriated, it is often the case that North Korean women who have been trafficked to China will seize an opportunity to escape to South Korea, leaving their children vulnerable. VOMK and our partners stay connected with the family members that are in China as well as those who come to South Korea. Please pray that God will continue to work through ministers like us to continue to disciple and care for these split families.