While North Korea is set to grant amnesty to prisoners, Open Doors USA awaits word whether that will include any Christians.

General amnesties for a few prisoners, political and otherwise, are granted twice a year, but Open Doors spokesman Jerry Dykstra says this time it has special meaning to the North Korean leadership.

 

"It's really to commemorate deceased leaders Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il who died last December," says Dykstra. "It would be the 100th birthday in April of Kim Il-Sung."

 

There are believed to be about 200,000 people behind bars for political and religious reasons.

 

"We believe there's 40,000 to 70,000 Christians who are in prison in some of the worst kind of conditions you can imagine," says the ministry spokesman. "Some of them are being tortured by other prisoners. Many of them do not have enough food. Many of them call it a living hell."