In China’s Heilongjiang Province, a South Korean church was shut down over six years ago, and its pastor arrested.
In April 2012, nearly 60 personnel from Heilongjiang’s Harbin city public security and religious affairs bureaus as well as the local United Front Work department showed up at a church.
The officials declared the congregation to be an “illegal assembly” as a foreign national had set up the church. Pastor Park, a South Korean citizen, was arrested along with two of his co-workers, one of whom was a woman, on the spot.
The police also registered details of everyone who was present in the congregation that day. Later, they confiscated the church’s Bibles, computers, musical instruments, tables and chairs, and other materials, before officially sealing off the church.
This incident has left over 200 Christians without a place to congregate and practice their faith.
Bitter Winter has been reporting about the persecution faced by South Korean Christians in China over the past few months. Many such preachers have been deported, churches shut down, and as per latest reports, the CCP will further intensify its crackdown on South Korean Christian nationals.
Reported by Piao Junying
Uses a pseudonym for security reasons.
