North Korea Bans Imports With Markings that Resemble the Cross

North Korean government officials are raiding shops and confiscating products that resemble crosses, according to Radio Free Asia.

Customs officers are looking for products from China that bear any symbols that look similar to the crucifix. One trader told the publication that men's neckties, women's hairpins, hair bands and earrings have been checked for cross designs.

"We've always had to make sure there were no Korean characters on the labels of products that we brought in from China," he said. "Now we have to check again to see that there isn't anything that looks like a cross."

"These products are more likely to be confiscated during customs checks," he added.

North Korea has been named the most dangerous place in the world to be a Christian. Although the country is hostile to all organized religion, "the North Korean government reserves its most severe persecution for Christians," the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedoms (USCIRF) said in its 2016 annual report.

It is estimated that up to 70,000 Christians are suffering in North Korean labor prisons.

Despite the harsh repercussions, organizations like Open Doors continue to work to spread the gospel message.

The organization estimates that there are 200,000 to 400,000 Christians who worship in secret in the country.

"Open Doors works to support the church in North Korea by supplying persecuted believers with emergency relief aid such as food, medicines and clothes," a spokesman for the organization said. "Open Doors also distributes books and other Christian materials and provides training through radio broadcasting."