North Korea Is Punishing Those Who Practice Religion

North Korea Is Punishing Religious Citizens

By C Barnett --
16 Aug 2017 --

By Roman Harak [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

U.S. State Department report exposes human rights violations in North Korea.

While most of the rest of the world enjoys the freedom of worship, North Korean authorities punish people who dare engage in religious practices. Those found practicing religion are abused, tortured, and even executed. This is from an annual a report of the U.S. State Department.

North Korea Is Punishing Religious Citizens[/tweetthis]

North Korea has, for some time now, been in the news for the infamous horrendous disregard for human rights. Hundreds of thousands of political and religious prisoners spend life in remote camps. The nonexistence of religious practice comes at a time when Washington and Pyongyang are not in good terms due to the North Korean dictator’s missile threats. The North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un told Donald Trump to make the right choices if he wanted to prevent a massive war. According to article 86 of the country’s Constitution, the citizens have an obligation to join the army and defend the nation at all times. Much resource is invested in military training and manufacture of lethal weaponry.

coming out today–death becomes possibility if you practice a religion in North Korea. 78% of North Koreans dont practice religion at all.
— Dan (@DanArkus) August 16, 2017

The United Nations Commission of Inquiry noted that Christianity is prohibited particularly because of the presumed threat to the country’s tyrannical regime.

Today, North Korea remains to be the most persecutory state regarding religious incrimination. The only form of worship that seems to be acceptable in North Korea is that of idolizing the nation’s supreme leader.

The claims of religious hindrance seem to match with the 2016 faith-based census which was released by the Korea Statistical Information Service. While a whopping 56 percent of the citizens claim to be irreligious, only 8 percent are Roman Catholic. Buddhists and Protestants take 16 percent and 20 percent respectively. This is contrary to the country’s Constitutional freedom of religion with no political, economic, social or cultural discrimination.

Such a trend is what makes friendly ties between North Korea and the rest of the world seem impossible to achieve.