Page 10 - Voice of the Persecuted Christians Jan-Mar-2024-125

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Elite soldier finds faith
after a fiery trial
The day Ahn sought to save a
portrait of Kim Il-Sung, the
communist founder of North
Korea, from a fire would change his
life forever. In the providence of God
it became his first step on the path to
finding faith in Christ.
Ahn was born into an upper-class
North Korean family that had
faithfully served the country’s
despotic Kim regime. ‘I can still recall
what my father told me when I was
seven: “Our family is a family that has
Ahn was a brainwashed servant of the North
Korean regime but after a life-threatening
drama and a desperate defection he now seeks
to serve Christ and the gospel
tests Ahn, aged 17, joined the
protection section. ‘We had to take a
severe oath: “As long as I am serving
in this unit I will not know any secrets
that I am not supposed to know. And
any secrets I do know I will not share
with my family. And I promise that if I
break this oath I will sacrifice my life.”’
Guarding the Kim yacht was an
important role. During times of peace
it was used for amusement, but if ever
war broke out or the regime collapsed
it would be used to help the Kim
family flee the country.
Ahn eventually became captain of
the guard in his unit but in May 2011
faced what he describes as a great
trial in his life – one that he now looks
back on as the providential working
of God.
‘I was performing my regular
observations when I heard a voice
shout, “Fire!” When I went in the
direction of the voice I saw that a fire
had broken out in the living quarters.
There were over ten people sleeping
faithfully served the Kim family. And
you, too, when you become an adult
will lay down your life for the Kim
family and this country.”’
From a young age he received what
he calls brainwashing at school about
allegiance to the Kim dynasty and in
his teens enlisted in an elite military
unit which had three responsibilities:
guarding the Kim houses and yachts;
carrying out assassination and terror
attacks; and perpetrating cyber-
attacks. After passing the necessary
In North Korea
even statues of the
late Kim Il-Sung
and Kim Jong-Il
are venerated
HELPING
CHRISTIANS
IN FLIGHT