about
North Korea
Twenty-Four million people live in this communist state ruled by a one-man dictatorship. There are something like 200-400,000 Christians in North Korea. Since Korea split into North and South the vast majority have never heard about Jesus. Religion is strictly Twenty-Four million people live in this communist state ruled by a one-man dictatorship.
There are something like 200-400,000 Christians in North Korea. Since Korea split into North and South the vast majority have never heard about Jesus. Religion is strictly forbidden in this Big Brother state, apart from the worship of the President Kim Jong Il and his late father Kim Il Sung (who founded North Korea), and submission to their Juche ideology. This atheist ideology teaches that man must save himself. North Korea has become one of the poorest countries in the world, millions of North Koreans die from starvation, although Kim Jong Il’s government never admit it. The Big Brother state sends out endless propaganda… There is one state controlled tv station, everywhere you go there are images, pictures, statues to encourage ‘worship’ of Kim Jong Il and his father… In the Juche ideology the Kim’s are seen to be ‘the Father’ and ‘the Son’.
Christianity is seen as a dangerous foreign influence. Those found to follow Christ are sent to prison camps, where they face cruel abuses and often executed for their faith. The hermit regime is suspected of detaining more political and religious prisoners than any other country in the world. Several North Koreans became Christians after crossing the border with China and entering into contact with local Christians. Many among these were exposed as believers when they returned to North Korea, and they were specially targeted for arrest. Many were tortured and killed. Amidst all of this, North Korea is trying to keep up a facade of religious freedom, organising government-sponsored religious services in show churches in the capital of Pyongyang, which foreigners are allowed to attend. True Christians meet in secret for fear of arrest, prison camp and execution.
The BBC website has a detailed North Korea country profile