WORLD WATCH LIST

North Korea

North Korea is the most dangerous place on earth to follow Jesus.

“Believers continue to follow Christ with quiet courage, deep faith and a willingness to give everything for the sake of the gospel.”

– North Korean Christian

Country
Profile

Region: Asia
Sources of persecution: Dictatorial Paranoia,
Communist and post-Communist oppression
Population: 26,320,000
Christian population: 400,000 (According to Open Doors estimate)
Religions: Agnosticism
Leader: Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un
Score: 97

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What’s Life Like For Christians?

If anyone is discovered to be a Christian, the consequences are extreme: imprisonment in one of the country’s notorious labour camps with little hope of release, or immediate execution. The same fate often awaits family members.

While church buildings displayed in Pyongyang, the capital, might suggest a degree of tolerance, this is propaganda. The reality is very different. Christianity has no place in North Korea, a country where homage must be directed towards the Kim regime alone. With watchful eyes everywhere, even from neighbours and family, the slightest hint of worshipping Jesus can have devastating consequences. Remarkably, believers do gather, but in utmost secrecy and at enormous risk.

Recent years have seen conditions worsen for North Korea’s secret believers, largely due to the “anti-reactionary thought law” introduced in 2020. The law makes it even clearer that being a Christian and owning a Bible is regarded as a serious crime. This reinforces just how much of a threat Christianity is seen to be by the country’s inhospitable regime.

Who Is Most Vulnerable To Persecution?

All believers are vulnerable to extreme persecution. Around 80% of defectors are women. They all face acute risk of trafficking, sexual assault, slavery, and forced marriage. Those who are caught and repatriated can suffer brutal treatment by border guards including forced abortions because their babies are deemed “impure”. All men must work in state-assigned jobs making it difficult to escape while further exposing them to extreme danger if they are discovered to be Christian.

PRAY FOR NORTH KOREA

– For Kim Jong-un and his family. Ask God to change their hearts.

– For communities of faith in North Korea, that God protects them and gives them peace.

– For believers lacking food, that God will meet their every need.

What Does Open Doors Do To Help?

Open Doors seeks to strengthen secret believers in North Korea through networks outside the country. This includes emergency relief aid, Christian materials, Christian radio broadcasts and shelter, and training for those who’ve fled the country.