South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s recent steps to ease tensions with North Korea are raising alarms over their unintended effects, especially on Christians living under Pyongyang’s tight restrictions.
As reported by Fox News, Lee in May ordered an estimated 80 percent cut in radio broadcasts from the South that had been reaching North Korea, alongside the dismantling of loudspeakers that for years blasted anti-communist propaganda across the border. He said the measures were meant to encourage “dialogue and communication,” while the defense ministry later described them as “practical steps” that would not compromise military readiness.
But the move has dealt a severe blow to North Korea’s secret, approximately 400,000-strong Christian community, where owning a Bible can result in imprisonment or execution. Fox reported that analysts at the Stimson Center’s 38 North said broadcasts into the country — including those once supported by the U.S. Agency for Global Media — have fallen sharply since May.
Rights group Open Doors continues to rank North Korea as the world’s most dangerous place to be a Christian, with believers facing constant raids, arrests, or execution for practicing their faith.
President Lee reinforced his approach during his Liberation Day speech on 15 August, promising “consistent measures to substantially reduce tensions and restore trust.” He emphasized that Seoul would “respect the North’s current system” and stressed that “North and South are not enemies.” His remarks underscored a broader shift from the hawkish stance of his predecessor, with Lee pledging dialogue without preconditions and even expressing a desire to build “military trust.”
The speech came a day after Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong Un, dismissed the South’s gestures, declaring Pyongyang had “no will to improve relations.” By contrast, Kim himself made no mention of the South in his Liberation Day address, focusing instead on strengthening ties with Russia. He praised Moscow for helping create “a history of justice” in defending sovereignty and global peace.
A Russian delegation, led by the Duma speaker, was present in Pyongyang and read a letter of congratulations from President Vladimir Putin.