After World War II, Korea was divided into two zones along the line of latitude 38° N (38th parallel), with the north occupied by the Soviet Union and the south occupied by the United States. In 1948, the socialist DPRK government was formed in the north, and the capitalist Republic of Korea was formed in the south. The Korean War began in 1950 when the military of North Korea invaded the South. A cease fire was agreed to in 1953, but no formal peace treaty was ever signed.
Country Stats
Capital City: Pyongyang
Government: Totalitarian Dictatorship
Major People Groups: Korean, with a small Chinese community
Population: 26,118,000 (Joshua Project)
Religion: 69% irreligious, 16% ethic religions, 13% other, 2% Christian
Government: Totalitarian Dictatorship
Major People Groups: Korean, with a small Chinese community
Population: 26,118,000 (Joshua Project)
Religion: 69% irreligious, 16% ethic religions, 13% other, 2% Christian
Officially, North Korea is an atheist state. It is currently first on the Open Doors World Watch List of countries with the most severe persecution of Christians in the world.
If your Christian faith is discovered in North Korea, you could be killed on the spot. If you aren't killed, you will be deported to a labour camp where they are starved, overworked and tortured. And it's not only you who will be punished: North Korean authorities are likely to round up your extended family and punish them too, even if your family members aren't Christians. The government requires all North Koreans to act as informants, and children are taught to spy on their parents from a young age. Christian and secular analysts estimate that about 30,000 Christians are currently suffering in prison and labor camps. Despite the threat of persecution and heavy social pressure, Christians in North Korea hold firmly to their faith. Believers continue to share the message of hope in Jesus Christ. They only wish that their sacrifice, when the day comes, will have been worthwhile.
If your Christian faith is discovered in North Korea, you could be killed on the spot. If you aren't killed, you will be deported to a labour camp where they are starved, overworked and tortured. And it's not only you who will be punished: North Korean authorities are likely to round up your extended family and punish them too, even if your family members aren't Christians. The government requires all North Koreans to act as informants, and children are taught to spy on their parents from a young age. Christian and secular analysts estimate that about 30,000 Christians are currently suffering in prison and labor camps. Despite the threat of persecution and heavy social pressure, Christians in North Korea hold firmly to their faith. Believers continue to share the message of hope in Jesus Christ. They only wish that their sacrifice, when the day comes, will have been worthwhile.
How to Pray
- Pray that underground church members will continue to boldly share the Gospel and receive more Korean language Bibles.
- Pray that starving North Korean families will be able to survive until help arrives, and food distribution can continue.
- Pray for the health of North Korea’s children and that they be able to supernaturally discern between what is right and what is wrong in what they are being taught.
- Pray for the North Korean people to be free.