State Vs Religion in North Korea
(1198 words)
The North Korean ideology – closer to a politic ideology than a religious one – is Juche, translated from Korean to ‘Self-reliance’, originating 1956 by Korean communist politician Kim Il-Sung. All other beliefs are completely prohibited and considered anti-state, and therefore crime, by the current dictator Kim Jong-Un. Juche worships Kim Il-Sung as ‘God’, Kim Jong-Il (Kim Il-Sung’s son) as the ‘Son of God’, and Kim Jong-Un (Kim Il-Sung’s grandson) as the ‘Grandson of God’ respectively. Any resident in North Korea who follows another faith – and caught – is immediately persecuted and so are three generations of their family. These followers of a different faith are sent to prison and mistreated, …show more content…
Other religions are Animists at 12.3%, Buddhists at 1.5%, other minority religions at 12.9% and finally Atheists – alias Juche (‘Kimilsungism’) “believers” – at 71.3%. It is perceived by the state that “You are an enemy of the state if you have a Bible” and “If you believe in Jesus you must go to jail. You must believe in Kim Il-Sung”. Most faiths are passed down verbally through families in secret as Bibles are banned, going to a church – churches are believed to be a “red-herring” for tourists – would most definitely get you persecuted, and only 6.6 out of 100 people have fixed and mobile telephone subscription so knowledge of the rest of the world, and religions, is extremely limited. According to visitors of Pyongyang, the three official Christian churches have had no regular or conventional worshiping and Buddhist monasteries are completely “neglected cultural relics”. Many interviewed North Korean defectors have claimed that “organised religious life outside state control does not exist in North Korea”. Other interviewees have stated that “Christians meet sometimes in groups of only two or three, mouthing prayers and hymns”. Following faith is extremely dangerous and almost impossible as North Korea is ranked the worlds most religiously violated and oppressed country in the …show more content…
This, closer to political than religious, ideology is only occurring in North Korea and is forced upon the residents by the state. The intensity of political indoctrination that is imposed on North Koreans is beyond any other country in the world and has been getting more severe through time. Juche is described by the North Korean regime as Kim Il-Sung’s “original, brilliant and revolutionary contribution to national and international thought”. In March 2014, thirty-three North Koreans were sentenced to death after it was reported that they “worked with a South Korean Missionary to set up 500 underground churches”. This missionary was Kim Jung-Wook who was earlier jailed, in 2013, trying to venture into Pyongyang with Bibles and Christian evangelisation materials. The Pastor then had a TV appearance stating he had “received help from South Korea’s intelligence agency” and apologised for his ‘anti-state’ crimes. Albeit, recently Kim Jong-Un has agreed to allow South Korean Catholic Priests to pass the border to celebrate Mass for Easter, March 2016. The Catholic Church in South Korea claimed they were to offer Mass on a regular basis in the Changchung cathedral – the only Catholic church in North Korea, where no baptisms or other sacraments have taken place – in Pyongyang. The success of this event will decide how regular future Masses
(1198 words)
The North Korean ideology – closer to a politic ideology than a religious one – is Juche, translated from Korean to ‘Self-reliance’, originating 1956 by Korean communist politician Kim Il-Sung. All other beliefs are completely prohibited and considered anti-state, and therefore crime, by the current dictator Kim Jong-Un. Juche worships Kim Il-Sung as ‘God’, Kim Jong-Il (Kim Il-Sung’s son) as the ‘Son of God’, and Kim Jong-Un (Kim Il-Sung’s grandson) as the ‘Grandson of God’ respectively. Any resident in North Korea who follows another faith – and caught – is immediately persecuted and so are three generations of their family. These followers of a different faith are sent to prison and mistreated, …show more content…
Other religions are Animists at 12.3%, Buddhists at 1.5%, other minority religions at 12.9% and finally Atheists – alias Juche (‘Kimilsungism’) “believers” – at 71.3%. It is perceived by the state that “You are an enemy of the state if you have a Bible” and “If you believe in Jesus you must go to jail. You must believe in Kim Il-Sung”. Most faiths are passed down verbally through families in secret as Bibles are banned, going to a church – churches are believed to be a “red-herring” for tourists – would most definitely get you persecuted, and only 6.6 out of 100 people have fixed and mobile telephone subscription so knowledge of the rest of the world, and religions, is extremely limited. According to visitors of Pyongyang, the three official Christian churches have had no regular or conventional worshiping and Buddhist monasteries are completely “neglected cultural relics”. Many interviewed North Korean defectors have claimed that “organised religious life outside state control does not exist in North Korea”. Other interviewees have stated that “Christians meet sometimes in groups of only two or three, mouthing prayers and hymns”. Following faith is extremely dangerous and almost impossible as North Korea is ranked the worlds most religiously violated and oppressed country in the …show more content…
This, closer to political than religious, ideology is only occurring in North Korea and is forced upon the residents by the state. The intensity of political indoctrination that is imposed on North Koreans is beyond any other country in the world and has been getting more severe through time. Juche is described by the North Korean regime as Kim Il-Sung’s “original, brilliant and revolutionary contribution to national and international thought”. In March 2014, thirty-three North Koreans were sentenced to death after it was reported that they “worked with a South Korean Missionary to set up 500 underground churches”. This missionary was Kim Jung-Wook who was earlier jailed, in 2013, trying to venture into Pyongyang with Bibles and Christian evangelisation materials. The Pastor then had a TV appearance stating he had “received help from South Korea’s intelligence agency” and apologised for his ‘anti-state’ crimes. Albeit, recently Kim Jong-Un has agreed to allow South Korean Catholic Priests to pass the border to celebrate Mass for Easter, March 2016. The Catholic Church in South Korea claimed they were to offer Mass on a regular basis in the Changchung cathedral – the only Catholic church in North Korea, where no baptisms or other sacraments have taken place – in Pyongyang. The success of this event will decide how regular future Masses