The Global Week of Prayer for North Korea, organised by Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) and partner agencies across the world, is set to take place from 19-25 June 2006.

The week-long prayer initiative will look to protest against the atrocities and human rights violations committed against the people of North Korean.

According to a number of persecution watchdogs, North Korea is the worst nation for the persecution of Christians in the world.

The communist country still has a great deal of secrecy surrounding it, however, information on the terrible oppression, statewide enforced idolatry and utterly brutal persecution of the Christians has become increasingly available in recent years, tell CSW.

China refuses to acknowledge the existence of North Korean refugees within its territory and those found by the Chinese authorities are returned to North Korea where they face torture and even death in the most serious of cases.