Thursday, December 04, 2008

Why the Leaflets to North Korea Must Continue

Excerpt of a column contributed by Suzanne Scholte, president of the Defense Forum Foundation of the U.S.

There has been much controversy about the recent pronouncements against activist groups launching balloons that carry leaflets over to North Korea. There has been a steady stream of angry declarations and threats from North Korea, starting with a threat to shut down the Kaesong Industrial Complex, cut off all ties with South Korea, and turn South Korea into debris.

These declarations are just more evidence of how critically important these messages from the free world are in reaching out to the North Korean people, [especially because] due to a lack of electricity there are whole sections of North Korea that can only be reached with these messages.

With the election of President Lee Myung-bak, South Korea finally has a leader who cares about the suffering North Korean people. It is long overdue for someone in a position of authority in South Korea to act in the best interest of the North Korean people for a change, rather than the best interest of Kim Jong-il.

There is nothing more powerful than North Koreans living in freedom reaching out with the truth to their brothers and sisters living in enslavement. Other NGOs are sending in pamphlets with messages of hope to their loved ones, specifically those abducted to North Korea, while Christian NGOs are sending in messages of love and forgiveness about Jesus Christ and a loving God, while pointing out that Kim Jong-il is no god.

Why has North Korea reacted so vehemently to these launches? Because Kim Jong-il ironically seems to understand something that we in the free world are sadly forgetting: that the truth shall set you free.

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