Korea’s Christian Soldiers

According to Andy Jackson, the organization that sent the 23 kidnapped Koreans to Afghanistan can be trace to their work helping North Korean refugees

The ongoing hostage crisis in Afghanistan has sparked interesting reactions in some quarters. While many South Koreans have offered condolences and hope for the safe return of the remaining hostages, others have used the occasion to heap derision on them.

Some Korean Internet users have been attacking the volunteers, their church and the aid organization that sent them. A few have gone as far as encourage the Taliban to kill them. Police officials may bring defamation or other charges against some of the Internet users involved.

Some of the Christian volunteers’ apparent disregard for their own personal safety, as well as of the contempt being heaped on them, can be traced to Christians’ work with North Korean refugees over the past several years.

While some non-religious groups have been working to help the refugees, the effort has been disproportionately Christian. They have been working to shelter North Koreans in China, help them escape and aid them in resettling in South Korea.

They have also been sharing their faith with them. It is telling that the Korean Foundation for World Aid, the organization that sent the 23 volunteers to Afghanistan, began as a means to provide humanitarian assistance to North Koreans.

This explains why they are in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, compared to the Taliban, China is the reasonable one when it comes to South Koreans.