The suppression of Falun Gong in China persists within the ethnic Korean community in Liaoning province

Jiang Zhihui, a woman who has faced persecution for an extended period, has been given a three-and-a-half-year sentence.

Liaoning harbors one of China’s oldest ethnic Korean communities, tracing its roots back to the 13th century. Presently, approximately 250,000 ethnic Koreans reside in the province.

While the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) portrays Liaoning’s Koreans as content and “patriotic,” any manifestations of their Korean heritage beyond superficial, propaganda-driven festivities are closely monitored. A specialized unit within the United Front diligently observes any divergence from the CCP’s prescribed narrative of patriotic reconstruction regarding the history of Koreans in China and their interactions with South Korean entities, including Christian churches and other organizations.

Interestingly, alongside other residents of Liaoning, some ethnic Koreans have sought solace in Falun Gong. The brutal persecution of Falun Gong adherents in Liaoning, particularly in Xinbin Manchu Autonomous County under the jurisdiction of Fushun, has resulted in numerous arrests, instances of torture, and even fatalities over the years.

Recently, relatives and fellow practitioners discovered that Jiang Zhihui, a prominent figure among Falun Gong practitioners in Xinbin County and an ethnic Korean, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison by the Shuncheng District Court of Fushun City on March 20, 2024. Jiang was apprehended on December 2, 2023, for distributing Falun Gong materials.

Born in 1956, Jiang embraced Falun Gong before the onset of its persecution in 1999. Despite facing detention and confinement in an indoctrination center for publicly advocating her beliefs in Beijing, she persisted. Her husband, influenced by official propaganda, subjected her to mistreatment and violence, and she endured a stint in a psychiatric facility.

In 2009, she was arrested and sentenced to a year in the notorious Masanjia Labor Camp, notorious for its widespread use of torture. Despite this, in 2013, authorities discovered her continued involvement in Falun Gong, leading to a four-year sentence in Liaoning Women’s Prison.

Now facing yet another harsh prison term, Jiang’s decades of persecution have failed to shake her faith. She stands as a testament to the unwavering resilience of both persecuted Falun Gong practitioners and the proud ethnic Korean community of Liaoning.

This post is based on the information of the magazine “Bitter Winter”.