For many believers, having faith in God as the ultimate Provider and leaning on Christ when life exceeds our strength is a natural posture of surrender. But for those escaping one of the world’s toughest regimes, trusting an unseen Provider requires unlearning a lifetime of conditioning. In a recent video, Kim Jong-un’s former bodyguard shared (credit to Youtube channel “The NK Guys”) a reflection on faith and survival that cuts to the very heart of the North Korean refugee experience:
“I do think there might be a God. I survived, while so many died when defecting. So maybe God helped. But, if I believed in Him and got hurt, it would be too painful. So now, I do think He exists, but I decided to believe in myself to help myself survive in this world. Everything else is bearable, but what bothers me is memories of my son, memories of my 80-year-old mother, I miss her, and because of that, this North-South division really hurts. It is equally hard living in this free world."
This honest admission reveals a deep spiritual paradox. Even when acknowledging God’s hand in his survival, he chooses fierce self-reliance over spiritual surrender, always keeping a cautious distance from full trust. Yet this guarded response is entirely understandable when viewed through the lens of North Korea’s state doctrine, Juche, which shapes every aspect of a citizen’s worldview (read more on North Korea dictatorship).
Juche: A State Religion of Self-Reliance
While framed as a political philosophy, Juche (literally translated as “self-reliance”), functions as North Korea’s official secular religion. In short, it teaches citizens that humanity is the master of its own destiny and that salvation comes not from a higher power, but through complete devotion to the state and reliance on oneself. However, Juche operates as a cruel contradiction in practice. The regime ruthlessly demands total compliance as a deity would, while leaving its people entirely on their own to survive (read more on North Koreans relying on families who have defected to survive).
The Reality of State Neglect
This systemic neglect is clearly visible in how Pyongyang manages domestic crises. When record heatwaves swept across the Korean peninsula earlier this month, North Korea’s Cabinet appeared to address the people’s needs by issuing emergency heatwave guidelines after deaths from heat-related illness surpassed 100 nationwide. In particular, the state dictated 20 strict measures demanding that managers prevent further casualties. Yet low-level officials reported that they were now faced with the impossible task of reducing workflow while maintaining heavy work quotas. Meanwhile, basic material and medical support, including salt or fever reducers, remained non-existent at actual work sites and grueling labor training camps.
Beyond releasing official prevention guidelines, state media simply encouraged citizens to beat the heat by consuming traditional dog meat soup and ginseng broths, offering empty propaganda in lieu of tangible relief. When a government demands absolute submission to its authority while providing zero real support, citizens internalize a harsh, scarring lesson: relying on an external power for help is dangerous, while putting your faith in yourself can increase the chance of survival.
From Self-Reliance to Grace
In our field ministries supporting North Korean refugees, this state-enforced Juche ideology becomes a major barrier for those under our care to experience God’s grace. At Elim House, we often witness North Korean women navigating life after escape still carrying heavy emotional armor. Take Bethany, a woman who struggled to navigate interpersonal conflicts and eventually had to transition out of Elim House. Her past trauma has left her quick to trust, but even quicker to feel attacked. At our retreat, a simple, offhand comment from her bunkmate sent her into an immediate spiral, demanding a room change. However, far from mere stubbornness or hostility, her reaction was likely a defensive instinct forged over decades under Juche. In a system where leaning on others feels like an invitation to harm, defensive reactivity becomes a necessary survival strategy.
In a recent interview, Christian North Korean refugee Charles Ryu opened up about the reality of North Korea’s brutal prison camp system. Detainees are stripped of their names, reduced to numbers and subjected to deliberate dehumanization designed to erase self-worth – a reality Charles experienced firsthand when he almost died of malnourishment working 18 hours a day in a labor camp on a daily food ration of just 150 kernels of corn. Those who survive inside are systematically forced into absolute self-preservation, where showing empathy or trusting a fellow prisoner can cost you your life. As Dan Chung further explains in his book A Hard Freedom: The Dreams and Trauma of North Korean Refugees, escaping to China offers no immediate sanctuary, as defectors only enter a second layer of trauma as illegal, stateless non-persons who can be betrayed and repatriated back to North Korea for a cash reward at any moment (read more on North Korean Defectors Sold Out for Profit in China). This relentless vulnerability continually reinforces the Juche worldview that no one, not even God, can be trusted.
But even this deeply ingrained armor can soften through Christ-centered community. We have experienced firsthand the profound psychological and spiritual shift that occurs when refugees finally encounter unconditional faith-based support. Charles’ own life also reflects this shift, moving from the survival mode of the prison camps to an active, outspoken faith. Where Juche and state oppression teach that self-reliance is the only defense against betrayal, we offer a safe community where North Korean refugees can lay down their armor. As we provide for their physical needs and walk alongside them toward emotional healing, we witness a beautiful transformation. Slowly, the heavy burden of self-preservation gives way to the lasting hope, peace, and abundant life found in the love of Jesus Christ.
