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Freedom of religion in North Korea

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Freedom of religion in North Korea (DPRK) is officially a right in North Korea.[1][2]

In 2022, the UN secretary-general reported that the country's "right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion ... continues to be denied ..." ;[2] NGOs and North Korean defectors reported that any religious activities unauthorized by the state (e.g., praying, reading the Bible and any contact with a missionary) could lead to punishment, including detention in a prison camp.

Due to the country's inaccessibility and the inability to gain timely information, this activity remains difficult to verify.[3]

Religion in North Korea

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Main article: Religion in North Korea

Traditionally, religion in North Korea primarily consisted of Buddhism and Confucianism and to a lesser extent Shamanism. Since the arrival of Northern and Eastern Europeans in the 18th century, there is also a Christian minority. Syncretic Chondogyo emerged more recently.[4]

Status of religious freedom

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A report released in 2018 confirmed the existence of several state-sanctioned religious groups, including the KCF, Korea Buddhist Union, Korean Catholic Council, Korea Cheondoist Church Central Committee, Korea Orthodox Church Committee, and Korean Council of Religionists.[1][5] Unauthorised religion is illegal and is often practiced in secret.[2]

In 2019, North Korea was ranked as the worst country in the world in terms of Christian persecution by international Catholic aid organization Aid to the Church in Need.[6] In 2023, the country was ranked as the worst place in the world to be a Christian by Open Doors.[7] In 2023, the country was scored zero out of 4 for religious freedom.[8]

As of 2012, an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 people were believed to be held in political prison camps (Kwalliso) which are located in remote areas of North Korea,[9] many for religious and political reasons.[10] The number of Christians in prison camps in 2022 is estimated to be 200,000.[8] Family members of believers are considered guilty by association and sent to labor camps or prisons.[2]

In March 2006, the Government reportedly sentenced Son Jong-nam to death for espionage. However, some NGOs claimed that the sentence against Son was based on his contacts with Christian groups in China, his proselytizing activities, and his alleged sharing of information with his brother in South Korea. Son's brother reported that information indicated that Son was alive as of spring 2007. Because the country effectively bars outside observers from investigating such reports, it was not possible to verify the Government's claims about Son Jong-nam's activities or determine whether he had been executed.[3] A fellow inmate of the Pyongyang prison where Son was held states that he died there in December 2008.[11] In 2013, the South Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo reported that North Koreans in Wonsan discovered in possession of a Bible were among a group of 80 North Koreans killed in a wave of mass executions in the country. Others in the group were executed for other "relatively light transgressions such as watching South Korean movies or distributing pornography."[12] However, others have testified in interviews that North Korean citizens have full rights to own and use religious texts and worship at church, although there may not be many young believers.[13]

According to Alejandro Cao de Benós, Special Delegate of North Korea's Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, the government allows only religions that are considered "traditional" in Korea, such as Christianity, Buddhism or Cheondoism.[14]

Religion in politics

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Historically, there have been only two openly religious parties at the Supreme People's Assembly, the former Korea Buddhist Federation[15] and the current Chondoist Chongu Party, which has been in the Assembly since 1948.[16][17] There are other religious organizations such as the Korean Christian Federation,[18] founded by Christians that joined the communist administration during the division of Korea,[19][20] or the North Korean Council of Religionists.[21][22][23]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b (1972, rev. 1998) "Constitution of North Korea (1972, rev. 1998)"], Wikisource, 6/28/2018
  2. ^ a b c d US State Dept 2022 report
  3. ^ a b Public Domain One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: United States Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. North Korea: International Religious Freedom Report 2007.
  4. ^ "Cheondoism (Chondoism): Beliefs and Origins". WorldAtlas. 2019-06-20. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  5. ^ "North Korea confirms US citizen is arrested". BBC. 14 April 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  6. ^ "Aid to the Church in Need | North Korea". Aid to the Church in Need. Retrieved 2019-07-03.
  7. ^ "Open Doors website, retrieved 2023-08-08". Archived from the original on 2023-01-03. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  8. ^ a b Freedom House website, retrieved 2023-08-08
  9. ^ Hawk, David (2012). The Hidden Gulag – Exposing Crimes against Humanity in North Korea's Vast Prison System (PDF) (Second ed.). The Committee for Human Rights in North Korea. p. VIII. ISBN 978-0615623672. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 13, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
  10. ^ "North Korea: Political Prison Camps". Amnesty International. May 4, 2011. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  11. ^ Kim, Hyung-jin (2010-07-05). "AP Exclusive: NKorean killed for spreading Gospel". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 9 July 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-08.
  12. ^ Public executions seen in 7 North Korea cities: Source tells JoongAng Ilbo 80 people killed for minor offenses, JoongAng Ilbo (November 11, 2013).
  13. ^ unidentified official of Catholic Church in North Korea (August 2, 2017). Interview of an Official Of The Catholic Church In Pyongyang North Korea (english sub). Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea: Eric Lafforgue. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  14. ^ "In North Korea there are no bishops, but there are priests whom we have trained". infovaticano. March 16, 2015.
  15. ^ "Buddhist Temples, Federation, Education in DPRK". Archived from the original on 13 November 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  16. ^ Nohlen, Dieter; Grotz, Florian; Hartmann, Christof, eds. (2001). Elections in Asia and the Pacific: A Data Handbook. Vol. 2. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-924959-8.
  17. ^ North Korea Handbook. Seoul: Yonhap News Agency. 2003. p. 124. ISBN 0765610043.
  18. ^ Tan, Morse (2015). North Korea, International Law and the Dual Crises: Narrative and Constructive Engagement. Oxon: Routledge. p. 73. ISBN 978-1-134-12243-1.
  19. ^ Nahm, Andrew C. (1996). Korea: Tradition & Transformation : a History of the Korean People. 한림출판사. p. 525. ISBN 978-1-56591-070-6.
  20. ^ Belke, Thomas Julian (1999). Juche: A Christian Study of North Korea's State Religion. Bartlesville: Living Sacrifice Book Company. p. 124. ISBN 978-0-88264-329-8.
  21. ^ Lee, Wooyoung (26 December 2018). "North Korea sends Christmas greeting in video". UPI.
  22. ^ "North Korea sends Christmas wishes to the South". Asia News. 27 December 2018.
  23. ^ "Korean Council of Religionists". rfpasia.org.
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