What You Need To Know About Christians In North Korea

Life for Christians in North Korea 

For the past year, God has been prompting me to pray for the North Korea Christians. I wanted to share some interesting information about Christian life in Communist North Korea. I hope this prompts you to pray for believers in North Korea. I urge you to take these matters seriously, this could easily happen to Americans, if we’re not vigilant. Warnings are already being echoed by watchful disciples.

North Korea is a country in East Asia with bordering countries of South Korea, China and Russia. Opendoorsusa, ranks North Korea as the most threatening place for Christians in the entire world. The persecution level in North Korea is extremely high. With constant advances in technology, North Korea has grown into a heavily monitored and restricted region. This type of surveillance system increases the already high risks of being persecuted and punished for believing in Christ.

Isolated from others, Koreans are required to follow the cult like, invasive and restricted ways of their leader Kim Jong-un. At an early age, they teach children in North Korea to revere their leader, Kim Jong-un, as a god. This early indoctrination coupled with the extensive control of Kim Jong-un is a very dangerous thing. Yet, there are many covert Christians in North Korea risking their lives daily to follow Christ.

Fake “Show” Churches

In the capital city of Pyongyang, it would appear as though North Korea has graciously allowed 4 churches to be constructed. One Roman Catholic church, 2 Protestant churches and 1 Russian Orthodox. Don’t be fooled by these buildings, as they are not real places of worship rather, “show churches”. 

North Korea wants to give the illusion of its people having freedoms, but the truth is far from it. The government cares more about appearing a specific way to neighboring countries. These show churches put on extensive shows to any guest foreigners who may be in the country.

The so called ‘ministers’ at these churches aren’t ministers at all. In 2017, it was reported that North Korea was using social workers of their choosing as ministers inside these fake churches. There are no true Bible teachings, praise/worship, or prayer actually taking place inside these churches. What’s being offered is political lectures that advance the narrative of the communist regime. If that wasn’t awful enough, they even go as far as to force locals to take part in this deceptive display. North Koreans that consider themselves Christians are reduced to worshiping God in underground Churches.

Idolatry in North Korea 

North Korea is widely considered an atheist state, with the majority of its citizens considering themselves to be religionless. As for the religious people, they generally subscribe to Korean shamanism and Chondoism. However, there is smaller Christian and Buddhist community, though I expect it to be broader than recorded. Since many Christians in North Korea cannot be transparent about their religious practices for fear of the repercussions.

Life for the North Korean people is dissimile at best. For Christians it is especially terrible. The Kim Jong Un administration takes offense to any doctrine other than their very own. Simply being in possession of a Bible, Christian praise and worship, or any other religious items is strictly prohibited. Because of this, many believers in North Korea have to sneak around in order to pray, read the Bible, or even speak about Christ. 

Since the Korean War, the administration has taken control of the religious activities of its people. North Korea has an elaborate surveillance system that is about as invasive as they come. The government not only monitors, but controls what information is accessible to its people. The Korean Central News Agency dictates the release and censorship of information in the country’s publications. The communist administration controls and monitors what information is available to the public. This allows for the leadership to suppress anything that is in contradiction to their narrative. 

North Koreans are taught at a very young age to revere their leader as a god. The Kim family is revered as being divine and must be treated as their god. North Korea’s propaganda, educational system, and its overall structure are means of indoctrination. In North Korea there aren’t any options when it comes to religion, other than the one they present you with. However, the North Korea constitution states that it allows its citizens to practice religious freedoms. Because N. Korea is a communist state, the administrators ultimately do whatever they want. To rebel against this is to risk your life. Everyday covert Christians in North Korea are being placed into enslavement prisons, tortured, interrogated and killed because of their faith.

Our brothers and sisters in North Korea need our prayers and intercession.

Cited Sources
Bae-ho Hahn, Chan Lee, and Others (See All Contributors) North Korea. Encyclopædia Britannica. September 10, 2020. https://www.britannica.com/place/North-Korea

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, July 31). Religion in North Korea. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 13:26, November 26, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Religion_in_North_Korea&oldid=970513720