North Korea is famously a difficult place for Christians to live and worship openly. There are tens of thousands of Christians who are imprisoned or under arrest for their faith. And yet, that’s not the full story. Christianity and North Korea have a long relationship! So, here are five surprising facts about Christianity in North Korea and how this tightly controlled Communist nation has been impacted by the Christian faith:
1. Christianity has a long history in North Korea.
Before the end of World War II, there were more Christians in North Korea than there were in South Korea. North Korea was even known as the “Jerusalem of the East.” Estimates vary about how many Christians are currently in North Korea, but there are likely hundreds of thousands, most of whom operate in secret networks of house churches.
2. Kim Jong Un’s great-grandfather was a part-time missionary.
The current leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, is known for continuing the trend of brutal crackdowns on Christians. Under his leadership, like that of his father, Christians have been thrown into labor camps and subjected to unspeakable conditions because of their faith. And yet, there is a history of Christianity in Kim’s own family! The founder of North Korea, Kim Sung Il, was born to parents who were reportedly devout Christians. His father was even a part-time Protestant missionary! And his mother’s name, Kang Pan-sok, was the Korean word for “Peter,” since she was named after Jesus’ disciple of the same name.
3. There are public churches in North Korea … but most people think they are for show.
To “prove” they value freedom of religion, North Korea built four churches in the capital city of Pyongyang. But most observers say these “show churches” are in fact empty expressions of faith, and only exist to try to disguise North Korea’s brutal treatment of Christians. In one church, the church leaders were comprised of North Korean intelligence officers who were baptized quickly and without any real knowledge of the Christian faith, and suddenly elevated to leadership. Other observers have noticed the churches are closed during Sunday worship, or the churches don’t offer things like the Lord’s Supper or sermons about anything other than politics.
4. Evangelist Billy Graham traveled to North Korea twice—and the evangelist’s family continued that legacy.
In 1992 and 1994, evangelist Billy Graham visited North Korea and met with then-leader Kim Il Sung. He had reasons for a link to North Korea—his wife. As the daughter of missionaries in the 1930s, Ruth Bell Graham had attended some years of high school there. Since that time, Franklin Graham has returned to the country several times. However, it did not always go as intended—North Korean state media later reported that Billy Graham had declared that Kim Il Sung was “the God who rules today’s human world.” Naturally, Graham’s spokesman denied Graham ever saying such a thing.
5. Christians in house churches are ready to evangelize North Korea.
Christians in the region have told us that there is a passion for Jesus among the Christians of North Korea—and they are ready to spread the gospel among their people as soon as the country opens. It’s been over 100 years since the Pyongyang Revival, but it could happen again.
Praying With the Underground Church in North Korea
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- Pray that Kim Jong Un will be convinced to release the more than 50,000-plus Christians unjustly held in detention centers and prison camps throughout the country.
- Pray that Kim will loosen age-old requirements that residents attend indoctrination classes and display and bow to Kim family portraits.
- Pray that Kim will lift information embargoes and allow his people greater access to radio shows, TV programs, and websites.
- Pray that Kim will allow for the creation of new churches where North Koreans can freely worship outside of few “show churches.”
- Pray that existing believers within North Korea would take courage to lead a new revival of the Christian faith in North Korea.
- Pray that the underground church In North Korea would grow in boldness and be ready for widespread evangelism efforts when the opportunity arises.
- Pray that extended families who have been separated across North and South Korea may be reunited.
- Pray that relief and aid organizations would gain entrance to provide relief aid, trauma care and other needed services.
- Pray that North Korea’s economic and social infrastructure will find reform—that children will no longer be forced into labor, that preschoolers will no longer be indoctrinated, that roadways will be made safe.
- Pray that North Korea’s food supply would be enriched through education and increased trade, so that the 2 in 5 who are currently undernourished will be provided with adequate nutrition.
- Pray that God will give North Korean people wisdom to sift through the many nationalistic and mythical storylines and propaganda they have been fed throughout their lives.
- Pray that parents will ultimately be able to freely share their faith with their children and raise them to know Jesus.
Top photo by Roman Harak – North Korea – Kumsusan, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31639138
