2016 was a difficult year in many parts of the world for those who sought to be different under authoritarian regimes. Whether Communists, Islamists, or the religious intolerance of their own families, these individuals took a stand and, in some cases, paid the ultimate price to advocate for freedom.
The government of North Korea has published a scathing editorial demanding that Kenneth Bae, an American Christian missionary freed after being sentenced to 15 years hard labor, “commit suicide” following the publication of a book in which he details his life in a North Korean labor camp.
The American Christian missionary Kenneth Bae — who spent over 700 days as a captive of the North Korean communist regime — says the Holy Spirit held his hand through an “interrogation” exercise.
In a weird turn of events, Kenneth Bae thanked former NBA player and current weirdo Dennis Rodman for hastening his release from a North Korean jail, where he was held for over two years.
Pastor Hyeon Soo Lim, a Canadian citizen with a church in Toronto who was born in South Korea, has been sentenced to life in prison with hard labor by the North Korean regime.
Reports have surfaced that U.S. Spy Chief James Clapper was wined and dined with a “marvelous” 12-course meal during a secret visit to North Korea this past November on a mission to bring back two jailed Americans. After the banquet, the Director of National Intelligence was reportedly told that his security could not be guaranteed.
