{"id":34860,"date":"2021-01-26T13:45:13","date_gmt":"2021-01-26T04:45:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/?p=34860"},"modified":"2021-01-26T15:54:55","modified_gmt":"2021-01-26T06:54:55","slug":"vomk-report-140","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/2021\/01\/26\/vomk-report-140\/","title":{"rendered":"VOMK SENT 23,000 BIBLES TO NORTH KOREA IN 2020, PROJECTS 30% MORE FOR 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”34843″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”Voice of the Martyrs Korea announced today that it sent a total of 22,847 Bibles to North Korea in 2020, in addition to airing daily Bible recordings on its 5 shortwave and medium wave broadcasts into North Korea.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:1.2em|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” el_class=”headline”][vc_column_text]According to Voice of the Martyrs CEO the Rev. Dr. Eric Foley, the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>number\u00a0<\/span><\/span>include<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>mass\u00a0<\/span><\/span>distributions\u00a0<\/span><\/span>and individual\u00a0<\/span><\/span>hand-to-hand\u00a0<\/span><\/span>distributions in\u00a0<\/span><\/span>both\u00a0<\/span><\/span>print and electronic formats<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Foley says t<\/span><\/span>he ministry does not provide\u00a0<\/span><\/span>breakdowns\u00a0<\/span><\/span>by\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Bible\u00a0<\/span><\/span>format\u00a0<\/span><\/span>or distribution\u00a0<\/span><\/span>method\u00a0<\/span><\/span>or location in order to protect the safety and security of recipients and couriers<\/span><\/span>, as well as to keep its methods and technology private.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Foley\u00a0<\/span><\/span>sa<\/span><\/span>ys<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>that m<\/span><\/span>ass distribution numbers were down\u00a0<\/span><\/span>for the ministry\u00a0<\/span><\/span>this year compar<\/span><\/span>ed<\/span><\/span>\u00a0to previous years<\/span><\/span>, but that individual hand-to-hand distributions had more than doubled. \u201cOn the one hand, the efforts of South Korean authorities to\u00a0<\/span><\/span>halt all balloon launches, including our Bible launches<\/span><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>decreased\u00a0<\/span><\/span>mass\u00a0<\/span><\/span>distribution<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0On the other hand, demand for Bibles from individual North Koreans\u00a0<\/span><\/span>was higher than in any prior year<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Foley attributes the increased interest in the Bible by North Koreans to\u00a0<\/span><\/span>fear and uncertainty arising from concerns about the Coronavirus pandemic. \u201c<\/span><\/span>Regardless of culture, thoughts t<\/span><\/span>urn to<\/span><\/span>\u00a0God anytime life is\u00a0<\/span><\/span>threatened<\/span><\/span>\u00a0and the future appears bleak,\u201d says Foley. \u201cNorth Koreans, like people everywhere, turned to the Bible for hope in 2020, and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>they found it there.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”34848″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Voice of the Martyrs Korea CEO Pastor Eric Foley and Board Chair Dr. Hyun Sook Foley prepare Bibles for launch via balloon in this 2015 file footage.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Foley noted that government\u00a0<\/span><\/span>balloon launch bans\u00a0<\/span><\/span>and Coronavirus\u00a0<\/span><\/span>travel\u00a0<\/span><\/span>restrictions\u00a0<\/span><\/span>had less of an impact on\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the ministry\u2019s Bible distribution efforts than people might think. \u201cVoice of the Martyrs Korea is not a mission agency<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>producing Bibles in South Korea and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>then\u00a0<\/span><\/span>trying to\u00a0<\/span><\/span>figure out some way to sneak them\u00a0<\/span><\/span>into North Korea,\u201d says Foley. \u201cWe are a multinational network of Christians<\/span><\/span>, including North Korean Christians<\/span><\/span>, using a\u00a0<\/span><\/span>wide\u00a0<\/span><\/span>variety of technologies\u00a0<\/span><\/span>and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>resource<\/span><\/span>s to<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>help\u00a0<\/span><\/span>North Korean Christians\u00a0<\/span><\/span>share the Bible with\u00a0<\/span><\/span>other North Koreans wherever\u00a0<\/span><\/span>North Koreans\u00a0<\/span><\/span>are found<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Underground\u00a0<\/span><\/span>North Korean\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Christians say, \u2018Give us the tools, and we\u2019ll complete the work.\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Christians around the world all play a part in that supply chain, whether through finances, prayer, technology, sharing ideas, or\u00a0<\/span><\/span>gradually, patiently moving Bibles step by step<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>in<\/span><\/span>to the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>hands of\u00a0<\/span><\/span>North Koreans\u00a0<\/span><\/span>who want them.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Every year there are new challenges and new obstacles, but\u00a0<\/span><\/span>we plan years\u00a0<\/span><\/span>in advance<\/span><\/span>, anticipating difficulties and working together with\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Christians\u00a0<\/span><\/span>in North and South Korea and around the world\u00a0<\/span><\/span>to develop new technologies and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>strategies\u00a0<\/span><\/span>to\u00a0<\/span><\/span>identify and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>overcome\u00a0<\/span><\/span>possible\u00a0<\/span><\/span>problems<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>We believe the<\/span><\/span>\u00a0adversity makes\u00a0<\/span><\/span>us\u00a0<\/span><\/span>more creative<\/span><\/span>\u00a0and ultimately more effective<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The Lord always finds a way<\/span><\/span>, even in a pandemic<\/span><\/span>.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Foley says the<\/span><\/span>se new methods and technologies<\/span><\/span>, as well as the strengthening and expansion of its own network,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0are part of the reason why\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Voice of the Martyrs Korea\u00a0<\/span><\/span>is\u00a0<\/span><\/span>project<\/span><\/span>ing<\/span><\/span>\u00a0a 30% increase in its\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Bible\u00a0<\/span><\/span>distribution numbers for 202<\/span><\/span>1.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>He also points to the addition of a fifth radio broadcast in\u00a0<\/span><\/span>2020 as a positive outcome of South Korean government\u00a0<\/span><\/span>efforts to ban balloon launching. \u201cThrough the cooperation of our funding partners, we were able to reallocate some of\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the funds we would normally\u00a0<\/span><\/span>have\u00a0<\/span><\/span>use<\/span><\/span>d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0for\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Bible balloon launch<\/span><\/span>ing\u00a0<\/span><\/span>to<\/span><\/span>\u00a0add\u00a0<\/span><\/span>another 30<\/span><\/span>–<\/span><\/span>minute daily radio broadcast<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0which includes\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Bible readings<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Foley said<\/span><\/span>\u00a0the ministry was also able to complete a new dramatized recording of the Bible in 2020 for use on its radio broadcast and other electronic distribution media.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”34846″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Funds originally designated for Bible balloon launching were reallocated to enable a fifth daily radio broadcast by Voice of the Martyrs Korea. The broadcasts include dramatized recordings from the Bible.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”34859″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”A letter received by Voice of the Martyrs Korea this week from a North Korean expressing thanks for an audio Bible distributed by the Voice of the Martyrs Korea network.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Foley says it is too early to determine\u00a0<\/span><\/span>how new legislation in South Korea related to balloon launching will impact the ministry\u2019s Bible balloon launch\u00a0<\/span><\/span>efforts for 2021<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span>T<\/span><\/span>he w<\/span><\/span>ind and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>weather\u00a0<\/span><\/span>always prohibit\u00a0<\/span><\/span>balloon<\/span><\/span>\u00a0launch<\/span><\/span>ing<\/span><\/span>\u00a0in\u00a0<\/span><\/span>January<\/span><\/span>, even if laws were favorable<\/span><\/span>. Thus, our focus\u00a0<\/span><\/span>this time of year\u00a0<\/span><\/span>is completely on the many unique\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Bible distribution\u00a0<\/span><\/span>opportunities\u00a0<\/span><\/span>that are only possible in the winter.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>When summer comes and the winds blow north,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>we will do what we do every summer:\u00a0<\/span><\/span>evaluate the legal situation<\/span><\/span>, make the best decisions we can, and act transparently.<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Foley also faces charges\u00a0<\/span><\/span>under the Inter-Korean Exchange Act and the National Safety Law for the ministry\u2019s past balloon launch activities<\/span><\/span>, but he says he is not concerned. \u201c<\/span><\/span>If I worried about tomorrow, I would never have gotten into\u00a0<\/span><\/span>North Korean\u00a0<\/span><\/span>ministry. Today\u00a0<\/span><\/span>is<\/span><\/span>\u00a0all God gives to us.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0My focus is\u00a0<\/span><\/span>fully on\u00a0<\/span><\/span>keep<\/span><\/span>ing<\/span><\/span>\u00a0our North Korean Bible supply chain operational today. If tomorrow it is determined that this is\u00a0<\/span><\/span>a\u00a0<\/span><\/span>criminal<\/span><\/span>\u00a0act<\/span><\/span>, then I will joyfully and willingly submit to<\/span><\/span>\u00a0the consequences.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

F<\/span><\/span>oley points to the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>2020 White Paper on Religious Freedom by the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Database Center for North Korean Human Rights<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>as proof of the impact that Bible distribution by\u00a0<\/span><\/span>groups like Voice of the Martyrs Korea is having inside North Korea. \u201c<\/span><\/span>At the time\u00a0<\/span><\/span>we started Voice of the Martyrs Korea 20 years ago,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the Center estimates that\u00a0<\/span><\/span>essentially zero percent of people inside North Korea had seen a Bible with their own eyes.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>W<\/span><\/span>hen the Center did its 2016 report, th<\/span><\/span>ey reported that th<\/span><\/span>e\u00a0<\/span><\/span>number<\/span><\/span>\u00a0of those inside North Korea who had seen a Bible<\/span><\/span>\u00a0had jumped to\u00a0<\/span><\/span>nearly 8 percent. In the 2020 report, the Center says that number has continued to increase at a rate of 4 percent a year.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Our experience is that the more Bibles we distribute to North Koreans, the more North Koreans want to read the Bible.<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Foley\u00a0<\/span><\/span>says what motivates him most are the notes\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the ministry receives from individual\u00a0<\/span><\/span>North Korean\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Bible recipients. \u201cWe received a note today that says<\/span><\/span>\u00a0in part<\/span><\/span>, \u2018<\/span><\/span>Through M<\/span><\/span>P<\/span><\/span>3 we have all come to know that God created the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>world<\/span><\/span>\u00a0and that God is\u00a0<\/span><\/span>a\u00a0<\/span><\/span>living God and is protecting us. We never\u00a0<\/span><\/span>knew\u00a0<\/span><\/span>this until we received the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>w<\/span><\/span>ords\u00a0<\/span><\/span>on the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>MP3 al<\/span><\/span>o<\/span><\/span>ng with warm gifts. I am not of course able to understand it perfectly, but I will keep listening one time, ten times<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0and a hundred time to keep\u00a0<\/span><\/span>h<\/span><\/span>is\u00a0<\/span><\/span>w<\/span><\/span>ords<\/span><\/span>.\u2019<\/span><\/span>\u00a0What sacrifice would be too great to get a Bible in the hands of someone who treasures it that much?<\/span><\/span>\u00a0I can\u2019t think of any sacrifice I\u2019d rather\u00a0<\/span><\/span>be a part of<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]More information about Voice of the Martyrs Korea\u2019s North Korea ministry and Bible distribution efforts is available at\u00a0<\/span><\/span>https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/<\/span><\/span>en\/<\/span><\/span>project\/northkorea\/<\/span><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_video link=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=G5cINXEa9bU”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”34843″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”Voice of the Martyrs Korea announced today that it sent a total of 22,847 Bibles to North Korea in 2020, in addition to airing daily Bible recordings …","protected":false},"author":659,"featured_media":34842,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[857,235,869,140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34860","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-russian-special","category-special-column","category-china-special","category-vomk-report"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["ko","en","zh","ru"],"languages":{"ko":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"zh":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"ru":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34860","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/659"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34860"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34860\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34842"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34860"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34860"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34860"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}