A pastor who has worked to build underground churches in the “North Korea in Africa” told South Korean Christians that they must build relationships with North Korean defectors in South Korea and make them feel welcome.

Pastor Berhane Asmelash of Eritrea used to operate a church composed of Eritreans and Ethiopians, two ethnic groups long in conflict: Eritrea declared independence from Ethiopia in 1993, and the two countries waged war from 1998-2000.

Eritrea has been widely criticized for its arbitrary arrests and detentions, and systematic use of torture. It is the only country to consistently rank lower than North Korea