Voice of the Martyrs Russian Language Unit Joins Voice of the Martyrs Korea

Posted on March 14, 2023 by Pastor Foley

Voice of the Martyrs Korea announced today that the Voice of the Martyrs Russian language unit has joined its ministry.

“The Voice of the Martyrs Russian language unit has over one hundred years of combined experience in translating, publishing, and distributing books, videos, and electronic media to persecuted Christians in Russian speaking countries.” says Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr Hyun Sook Foley. “For decades they have kept alive the original ministry that Voice of the Martyrs founder Rev. Richard Wurmbrand began more than 70 years ago: providing Russian speaking Christians with the gospel resources they need to make a faithful witness for Christ to their persecutors.”

The unit also continues to produce resources in Ukrainian and more than a dozen other languages across the former Soviet Union, Representative Foley says. The unit has been responsible for the translation and publication of more than 700 books and video resources.

According to Representative Foley, the decision to integrate the work of the Voice of the Martyrs Russian language unit with Voice of the Martyrs Korea’s own Russian language team was an easy one.

“Each Voice of the Martyrs organization around the world is independent, and the Voice of the Martyrs Russian language unit previously worked under the oversight of one of our sister VOMs,” said Representative Foley. “But our own Voice of the Martyrs Korea Russian language work has grown to the point where Russian speakers around the world are actually our largest constituency, even more than Korean speakers. It was clear that combining the teams under the oversight of Voice of the Martyrs Korea was in the best interests of everyone—especially the Christians we are serving.”

Representative Foley says that the newly combined Russian language unit will be called, “Голос мучеников, a ministry of Voice of the Martyrs Korea”. VOMK’s Russian language website will become https://vom-ru.org/, while its Russian language Facebook page will remain https://www.facebook.com/VOMKRUS. The new team will continue to produce both digital and print editions of the Voice of the Martyrs Russian language newsletter, available for subscription through the website. Voice of the Martyrs Korea’s Korean language ministry remains unchanged.

Individuals interested in learning more about Voice of the Martyrs Korea’s work with persecuted Russian language believers can visit https://vomkorea.com/en/project/russia-ministry/.

A selection of Russian language resources produced by Voice of the Martyrs Korea and the Voice of the Martyrs Russian language unit, which have now merged under Voice of the Martyrs Korea.
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As China blocks Christian Internet, gatherings, and stores, Christians are turning to radio

Posted on February 28, 2023 by Pastor Foley

As Chinese authorities continue to raid worship services, block Christian websites, and track down and punish Christian book buyers, Christians are returning to a World War II-era technology to spread the gospel:

Shortwave radio.

“People tend to think of shortwave radio as antiquated technology,” says Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr Hyun Sook Foley. “But shortwave radio broadcasting is actually experiencing a major upsurge in China.”

A Voice of the Martyrs Korea staff member records a Chinese language shortwave broadcast. The ministry airs two shortwave radio broadcasts daily into China.

Representative Foley points to the increase in shortwave radio broadcasting in China by the world’s two largest radio broadcasters, the US and Chinese governments.

According to Representative Foley, the Chinese government continues to be the world’s leading shortwave radio broadcaster. “China state radio transmits over 400 hours daily to its population via shortwave, with almost 200 different programs in five languages on a wide range of frequencies. China is also the largest producer of shortwave radios. Alibaba offers over 1,000 different models, and tens of millions of shortwave radios are sold annually in China.”

Representative Foley notes that the U.S. government considered reducing its shortwave broadcasting into China in the mid-2010s but instead decided to maintain and subsequently increase its shortwave program delivery. “There are now unprecedented levels of shortwave broadcasting by the U.S. government into China,” says Representative Foley. She notes that Voice of the Martyrs Korea does not accept funding from or cooperate with any government or government-sponsored agency on its radio or other projects.

But it’s not only governments who are reviving shortwave radio use in China. It’s Christians.

Voice of the Martyrs Korea, began broadcasting two daily shortwave radio programs into China in May 2022. The programs feature sermons from jailed Christian pastors like Early Rain Covenant Church Pastor Wang Yi, as well as lectures, readings from Chinese Christian books, and teachings on being a faithful witness to Christ in the midst of suffering.

According to Representative Foley, the organization receives regular contact from listeners verifying their ability to access the broadcasts. But Representative Foley says the best proof of the programs’ effectiveness is the consistent effort by Chinese authorities to jam the broadcasts.

“China is far too big for nationwide jamming of shortwave signals, so authorities target their jamming of our broadcasts to regions with large populations, like Beijing and Hong Kong,” says Representative Foley. “So, the farther away from those cities, the more fully received are our broadcasts.” But Representative Foley says that quick work by her organization’s engineering partners enables the organization to make slight adjustments to their frequency and work around the jamming efforts even in major cities. “Our broadcasts are being received across China every day, in spite of authorities’ best efforts to block them,” says Representative Foley.

A recording sent to Voice of the Martyrs Korea by a listener verifying access to the broadcast.

According to Representative Foley, not only has the tightening of China’s laws on religion played a role in the move to shortwave radio by her organization, but even more so China’s intensifying cyber-monitoring and use of a “social credit” system to control individual media use and to track down and punish individuals who purchase banned Christian books.

“In China, VPN use is tracked. Christians commenting on websites are tracked. Even Christians purchasing Christian books through stores and websites are tracked and punished,” says Representative Foley. “Christian shortwave radio broadcasts are now the only media through which Chinese Christians can safely and anonymously access Christian content every day. With tens of millions of shortwave radios sold annually in China, and the Chinese government itself broadcasting extensively on shortwave radio, it is simply impossible for them to know who is using shortwave radios to listen to Christian broadcasts. And since Christian shortwave radio broadcasts are mostly of sermons and other spoken audio content, the quality of shortwave is more than sufficient. This World War II-era technology is well suited to spread the gospel throughout China in the 21st century.”

Individuals interested in learning about Voice of the Martyrs Korea’s work in partnership with the house church Christians of China can visit https://vomkorea.com/en/china/.

Individuals interested in donating to Voice of the Martyrs Korea’s work in partnership with the house church Christians of China can visit www.vomkorea.com/en/donate or give via electronic transfer to:

KB Bank: 463501-01-243303

Account Holder: (사)순교자의소리

Please note “China” on the transfer

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NK has expanded its efforts to jam our gospel broadcast. Here’s why that’s good news.

Posted on February 14, 2023 by Pastor Foley

North Korea maintained and expanded their efforts to jam broadcasts into North Korea by Christian radio broadcaster Voice of the Martyrs Korea in 2022. But according to Voice of the Martyrs Korea’s Representative Dr. Hyun Sook Foley, the increased jamming activity is a good sign.

“Increased jamming means that the broadcast is working,” said Representative Foley.

Representative Foley says that research from independent private analysts shows that Voice of the Martyrs Korea’s broadcasts have continued to be among the highest-priority information blocking targets of the North Korean authorities. She says that quick-response countermeasures based on daily broadcast monitoring and analysis have significantly mitigated the jamming efforts.

Voice of the Martyrs Korea broadcasts five daily 30-minute-long shortwave radio programs. Each program contains readings of the North Korean dialect Chosun Bible by North Korean voice actors, sermons from early Korean Christians read by Voice of the Martyrs Korea volunteers, and hymns that are popular among North Korean underground Christians, sung by North Koreans. “We do not publicly announce the radio frequencies or broadcast times for security reasons,” says Representative Foley, “And we regularly change the radio frequencies and broadcast times in order to address jamming efforts.”

She says no one in North Korea would have a difficult time finding Voice of the Martyrs Korea’s broadcasts, since they are aired throughout the day and night on one of the strongest shortwave signals into North Korea.

According to Representative Foley, radio broadcasting remains by far the most effective and safest way to reach audiences inside of North Korea.

“Considering North Korea’s severely restricted borders, as well as the regime’s ever-tightening ‘total surveillance state’ model that uses digital tracking similar to the Chinese model, shortwave radio is the safest medium for North Koreans to access Christian content.”

Representative Foley says that Voice of the Martyrs Korea has received confidential reports from radio industry sources that as many as 10% of the North Korean population may have been exposed to its broadcasts. Representative Foley says that North Korean defectors arriving in South Korea will sometimes comment to her about the broadcasts.

According to Representative Foley, Voice of the Martyrs Korea uses shortwave broadcasts because they are harder for authorities to jam than medium wave (AM) radio.

“Medium wave frequencies cannot be changed or adjusted as easily as shortwave frequencies,” she says. “Compared to sustained interference against a single, fixed, more expensive medium wave broadcast which has to be targeted to a narrower area, government interference against shortwave broadcasts has to be spread out across different portions of each broadcast, across different time periods, and across the broader shortwave broadcast geography. That’s expensive and difficult for governments, and so it enables an even greater share of shortwave-transmitted programs to reach North Koreans.”

Representative Foley says that when jamming happens, Voice of the Martyrs Korea is able to detect it quickly and make adjustments to bypass or limit the effectiveness of the jamming. She says the organization’s effectiveness in countering North Korea’s rising jamming efforts is “partly experience, partly technology, but mostly prayer.” She asks Christians to join Voice of the Martyrs Korea in what she calls “prayer-jamming the government jamming”.

“Prayer can ‘jam’ the government’s technical jamming efforts, so we should pray for the Lord to grant a clear signal for each of our five gospel radio broadcasts every day,” she says.

Representative Foley also requests prayers for the broadcasts’ listeners.

“Pray for all North Koreans who hear the gospel, even today,” she says. “Listening to the gospel on shortwave radio is extremely dangerous, and yet we know that only God’s word can bring true life to those living in danger.”

“The content of our radio broadcasts is only gospel,” adds Representative Foley. “Our content is not politics, current events, K-Pop, or information about South Korean life. The purpose is Christian discipleship, not defection.”

Individuals interested in hearing the Voice of the Martyrs Korea daily radio broadcasts into North Korea can listen online, at http://www.podbbang.com/ch/1768188. More information about Voice of the Martyrs Korea’s North Korea radio broadcasts is available at www.vomkorea.com/en/radio. Individuals interested in helping to prepare the broadcasts can contact Voice of the Martyrs Korea at 02-2065-0703.

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