North Korea - Getting Out

Here is a very modern photo of how things in North Korea are changing while staying the same. "The same" is the constant desire of habitancy who examine the truth to get out of North Korea. What's developing into a news story is the organized enterprise that is evolving to get them out.

"Planned escapes" are manufacture not a few brokers financially comfortable, even if the enterprise is a bit risky. Any there's a whole range of prices, from a allocation plan 00.00 to a super deluxe leave that runs about 5 times that much. Now, the low-cost exit involves some difficult river-crossings, pedestrian travel, and even any weeks in a Thai immigration jail. But at least you're out. Free from Kim. The high-end plan will get you a forged Chinese passport, and an airplane ride from Beijing to Seoul. The whole ordeal can be over in three weeks!

News North Korea

Though one hears regularly of crack-downs and tighter security, this description explains that the bigger turn is the conduct of bribe-hungry guards. The word has got 'round that seeing the other way is a great formula of having a exiguous extra spending money, and that's beyond doubt hard to come by, by any legal means in Kim-land.

It was the Christians who led the way out of North Korea, thanks be to God. They did it out of love and serious compassion, risking their lives only because of the workings of the Spirit within them. But others caught the idea and decided it would be a great way to make a living. Now there are more paid than unpaid "rescuers."

The description of the refugees has changed over the years too. A trickle of mostly 30-40 year old males with "important" jobs was the traditional flow. For them it was not such a difficult thing to get out. A total of 41 such habitancy made the journey from North to South Korea in 1995. But the numbers have grown exponentially since then. With agents galore willing to help, the count rose to over 2,000 in 2006 alone. And there are more women and children now than men.

Not everyone uses an agent. There may be 100,000 self-led North Koreans hiding in China waiting for their breakthrough to the South, or somewhere safe.

For those who do buy their way out, there is all the time man willing to take their money. There are scams. But ordinarily the men come straight through on their promises. And no one is claiming this is easy money. Some get caught. A old Nk military officer who defected in '99 says the "policy is for 100 percent operation of those caught helping habitancy to defect. I personally saw any such executions." Of course, citizens trying to leave are accused of treason. 5 years in prison with all the together with horrors, is potential for them .

Even those who reach the South have a serious issue to deal with: guilt over those left behind. In fact, families of escapees are quite often imprisoned. One such lady heard that "her mother, father, and sister were forced from their homes by the authorities and relocated to a farming area in the interior." She then hired brokers to find them, but they too were arrested. She says, "You cannot know how heartbreaking it is to leave your family in this way."

We will not judge them. We plainly cannot comprehend... We will pray that the hypothesize for all this sorrow and grief will soon be taken away. And that North Koreans will continue to be pointed Upward as they are directed outward.

Facts from above description gleaned from a modern Msnbc story.

North Korea - Getting Out

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