CHRISTIAN SOLIDARITY WORLDWIDE

For immediate release

June 30 2003

NORTH KOREA PRAYER EVENT DRAWS HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE

A prayer event held on Saturday June 28 drew hundreds of people to pray for the oppressed people of North Korea.

Some 300 people went to the event held in Westminster Chapel, London and were encouraged to pray in an opening address by Joel Edwards, General Director of the Evangelical Alliance UK.

CSW initiated the week of prayer in partnership with Release International, Open Doors UK, Jubilee Campaign and Asialink. The Hanbeet Korean Choir performed songs and several Korean Church leaders and Christians led prayers.

People were encouraged to pray in small groups, to put prayer stickers on a map of North Korea, to write prayers against specific violations of religious freedom and even to spend a short time in a tiny cage remembering more than 100,000 people held in prison camps inside North Korea. Video clips, a CD-Rom and music led by Dave Bilbrough all supported the prayer focus.

Gerald Coates, Team Leader of Pioneer Trust, Julie Anderson, Roger Forster and Eddie Lyle, Executive Director of Release International all led prayers for the persecuted Church in North Korea.

Resources such as a video, CD-Rom and the CSW North Korea country report were available for people to take away and use for future prayer meetings and people were encouraged to sign a petition to the UN High Commission for Human Rights calling for an end to the widespread human rights abuses in North Korea. There were also stands staffed by representatives from Release International, Open Doors and Jubilee Campaign.

Similar events were held in Glasgow, Swansea, Lisburn, Sutton Coldfield, Richmond in Surrey, Raynes Park in London, Birmingham and Bawtry. Prayer meetings focusing on North Korea were also held in Seoul, Zurich and Los Angeles.

Churches across the UK were encouraged to remember the people of North Korea in their prayers during the week.

Mervyn Thomas, Chief Executive of CSW, said: “It was really encouraging to see so many people committed to praying for North Korea. It was also a privilege to work in partnership with other agencies and with the South Korean churches in the UK. We have faith that God will hear our united prayers and that we will see release for the suffering and oppressed people of North Korea.”

For more information or pictures of the event, please contact Richard Chilvers, Communications Manager, CSW on 020 8329 0045 or 020 8949 0587 or email or visit http://www.csw.org.uk

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