In many countries, religion is still a very sensitive topic that might lead to severe violations of human rights and dignity. North Korea is particularly notorious for its oppressive political regime where people have virtually no civil rights and freedom to express their faith. According to the laws, North Korea does not prohibit any religions; however, in reality, most beliefs are being actively persecuted (Burkle, 2020).
Linda Burkle (2020) explains that Christians are some of the most oppressed groups in North Korea. As a result, Open Doors 2020 World Watch List declared North Korea as the worst country to live in for Christian people (Burkle, 2020). Christians are being transferred to labor camps and prisons, while approximately 200,000 Christians have also gone missing for “unknown reasons’ ‘ (Burkle, 2020). Even acquiring sacred texts is impossible and might lead to imprisonment and torture.
Unfortunately, other nations do not interfere in North Korea’s internal affairs due to immense differences in political regimes and the possibility of a war. The North Korean government is widely known for its inhumane laws and policies while holding significant military potential and nuclear weapons. That is why other nations attempt to achieve a diplomatic solution and do not interfere with religions within the country. Concerning reasoning, North Korea prosecutes Christians due to the government’s belief that religious people undermine national values and integrity. North Korea emerged after World War II and gradually increased the severity of political control. As a result, for more than 70 years, the North Korean government has been actively prosecuting religious groups and, specifically, Christians to mitigate the spread of freedom. It is an unjust policy, but, unfortunately, other nations cannot do much to help oppressed religious people in North Korea.