'The situation is miserable. The violation of human rights inside North Korea is egregious, and I’m afraid it’s getting worse. […] The situation for freedom of religion is the same. (North Korea Expert)

North Korea, or the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is a closed, isolated and repressive country. The violations of human rights perpetrated there, including the right to freedom of religion or belief, are among the worst in the world.

Individuals caught or suspected of religion or belief affiliation face harsh punishment, including detention in North Korea's brutal political prison camp system, torture, forced labour, and even execution. North Koreans who manage to escape the country are vulnerable to harassment, trafficking, and forced repatriation by China. North Koreans who manage to flee to Laos also face similar challenges, making Thailand their only viable option.

In 2014, the United Nations (UN) Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Human Rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea ( published what is widely considered to be the most comprehensive report into human rights violations in North Korea. The report’s findings and recommendations were extensive and comprehensive. It concluded that the ‘gravity, scale and nature’ of the violations of human rights in North Korea ‘reveal a State that does not have any parallel in the contemporary world’.  

Ten years on from the report, this report looks at freedom of religion or belief  inside the country and considers internal and external changes which have impacted human rights, including freedom of religion or belief, in North Korea over the past decade. Changes in North Korea's economic situation, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, an accelerating North Korean arms programme, the introduction of new domestic legislation, and changes in information flows into and out of the country are all key factors. The aim of this report is to generate further discussion and innovative thinking among researchers, policymakers, civil society and funders on how to address human rights violations in North Korea post-COI.

In 2015 a United Nations Field Office was established in Seoul in as part of the process of implementing the COI’s recommendations. The international community must ensure the implementation of the COI’s recommendations in their entirety. Action to address the North Korean regime’s routine and brutal violations of human rights is long overdue.

Read the full report using the buttons below and join us to pray at IDOP 2024 this coming November.

CSW is grateful to everyone who contributed to this report – especially those who bravely shared their experiences, and those whose generosity made it possible for these voices to be heard. Among them are Stefanus Alliance International, the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy and the Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG).