North Korea has announced a new forest restoration plan to plant over 1.1 billion trees over the next ten years starting in 2026. The deforestation in North Korea is a problem that is directly connected to the lives of its residents, leading to floods, landslides, soil erosion, and a decrease in agricultural production. To restore this situation, it is essential to provide sufficient food and energy supply, rather than merely focusing on tree planting. We must pray for a shift away from policies that emphasize superficial achievements and make life more difficult for the residents, towards truly life-giving policies that preserve both the people of North Korea and the natural environment.
As it is written in Genesis 2:15 (North Korean Bible), “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it,” we pray that the God who created all things with love and appointed humanity to cultivate and protect them will bring an end to idolatry in North Korea. May policies that serve God, love people, and protect creation be established, leading to the complete restoration of all life in that land and everything that grows from the earth.
Let us not stop at superficial tree planting, but may the root causes be addressed so that policies necessary for the livelihood of the people can be established and implemented.
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!
