Evil Before Our Eyes, Glory From On High

To the Ends of the Earth

The Associated Press has carried a story which is horrifying, to say the least. It is a story of man's inhumanity to man, of evil, of what happens when sin is left unchecked, and when men set themselves up as the only and final reference point. Yet it is also a story of God's love and grace to the world, mediated through His people. 

It concerns the Chinese and North Koreans trafficking in women. There is a shortage of women in China, due to the benighted One-Child policy causing abortion of girl babies (since women are less likely to be able to support their parents in old age--and remember the Chinese get only one shot at this, since they are officially allowed only one child). Chinese men are now buying North Korean women as chattel-wives.

Young female refugees from North Korea are increasingly becoming a commodity in China, where they are sold to farmers for up to 1,500 dollars a head, according to a Seoul campaigner.

The human trafficking is far from new but has become more prevalent as prices soar amid a shortage of Chinese women in the countryside, said Reverend Chun Ki-Won, head of the Durihana Association. Young female refugees from North Korea are increasingly becoming a commodity in China, where they are sold to farmers for up to 1,500 dollars a head, according to a Seoul campaigner. The human trafficking is far from new but has become more prevalent as prices soar amid a shortage of Chinese women in the countryside, said Reverend Chun Ki-Won, head of the Durihana Association, which offers aid to refugees, which offers aid to refugees.

Chinese bribe the border guards, who let the North Korean women in. A large number of them are then on-sold to Chinese men looking for a "wife".

About 20-30 percent are destined for marriage and are resold to another broker for about 2,000 yuan. They are then sold to farmers, normally for 5,000-10,000 yuan, but the trafficking does not necessarily end there.

If the customer does not like his wife, he can resell her and add about 2,000 yuan to the original price. Some women are sold seven or eight times, Chun said.

The women rarely know what is in store for them, Chun said. "Most of the time, they are just told they will get a good job in China and will be able to earn a lot of money."

Of course, the women cannot complain or they risk being sent back to North Korea where punishment and even death awaits them. Any children coming from such marriages are not recognised by the Chinese government. This leaves the child a refugee in the country of its birth.

Children fathered by Chinese men and North Korean women are the biggest problem, Chun said.

"The Chinese government does not recognise children whose mother is not registered. If the mother runs away or is taken back to North Korea, the children are left with nothing -- no nationality, no parents and no identity."

The children can be officially registered if the father pays a fine but most cannot afford this.

Some North Korean women are put to work in internet chat rooms for sexual voyeurism. Some South Koreans try to contact them, befriend them, and help rescue them by putting them in contact with missions such as Durihana.

We thank God for Durihana and similar Christian ministries. In the face of such terrible inhumanity and depravity, we see again the wonder and glory of Christ's redeeming work.

Post Script: a history of the Durihana mission can be read here.