Religion In North Korea

In the book Northing to Envy, Barbara Demick describes North Korea as an undeveloped country. “You can see the evidence of what once was and has been lost…” (4,Demick) The North Koreas aren’t up to the modern world and still haven’t learned that all humans need rights to be happy. Many aspects of human rights are broken in North Korean society that affect the people negatively, making them feel violated.

Andrew’s article is very informative to explaining how there are many religion throughout South Korea. Along with Christianity, there is Shamanism and Buddhism and even though the religions may have similar beliefs, all the individuals in South Korea have learned to live together peacefully. According to Andrew, there has been quick growth of religions in South Korea, especially Christianity. The article also explains how religion has branched out into the fields of health, mass media, education, etc. This article will be very helpful in providing information how Christianity has been considered the “success story” in South Korea and furthermore explaining how Buddhists have very low levels of major accomplishments in education.

In Korea, the people have been taught to love and adore the great leader, Kim Jong Il. In the documentary about Korea, the people thanked the great leader for giving them the gift of seeing but did not thank the people who actually operated and fixed their eye. They are taught that everything he does is right and he never does anything wrong. In Anthem, they were trained at birth to live for each other. They had to say “We exist through, by and for our brothers who are the State”(21), every night before sleeping as their prayer. They are also to NEVER doubt or question the council. The citizens in North Korea and in Anthem are taught that whatever the government says is always correct and there is no questioning with what they say. The citizens have no say in their lives. After time, the people will start believing nothing else than what they've been taught to believe. Then they start believing that if they disobey with what they are told to believe in, then they are an evil or bad

Pastor Robert Jeffress has made headlines this week after saying God has authorized U.S. president Donald Trump to “take out” North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, but other Christian leaders do not agree with this line of thinking and instead are calling for a calmer approach to the standoff between the two countries.

Propaganda, historic inconsistencies, and fear are what keep the most of the people of North Korea believing anything their government says. No one dares to speak out against Kim Il-sung or any of his heirs, and when they do they receive punishment. No one has an option on where to live or where to work, it is all assigned by the government. If a North Korean’s family has tainted blood, they become part of the lowest work class and are not allowed into the top colleges in North Korea. Few continue their education after high school.

Life in North Korea’s high contrast with life in the United States is marked by nonexistent personal freedoms and harsh punishments. One example of restricted freedom in shown in their leader, Kim Jong-un. He, who they address as Dear Leader, is treated like

Although most governments put positive spins on things, normally, they would at the very least give us a glimpse of the truth. North Korea doesn’t do that. Finally, Demick concludes that The citizens of North  Korea aren't treated the way they should

are specifically targeted. Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, is known for having many Christians.

The citizens of North Korea have little if any rights. They are not allowed to speak their opinions especially about the government. If they speak ill of the government they will be killed. As well as no freedom of speech nearly all property belongs to the state. A modern independent judicial system does not exist due to the ways their dictatorship is ruled. They have no Religious freedom at all, they must practice the religion that their dictator says.

The government claims that citizens get the full amount of basic rights and claim that DPRK has the best rights in the world ( Federal Research Division, 172-175). Contrary to what they said, the DPRK is one of the most repressive governments on the face of the earth. Their constitution claims that they get freedom of religion, speech, press, and more ( 175-176). The North Korean government instead ignores every single word in their own constitution (United Nations Human Rights Council 3). The Supreme People’s Assembly meets only once a year ( Federal Research Division, 175-176). The current state of modern North Korea is based off the policy of aggression, fear, and governmental brainwashing. (Daily Mail Reporter). North Korean citizens can and will be placed in a labor camp if they do anything that goes against the regime (“North Korea”). Not only can North Korean citizens get placed in a labor camp for going against the regime, but foreigners can and will be placed in a labor camp for committing that crime, too (David Brunnstrom). In the North, the government boasts about many of their so-called achievements and superiority over the others. Their media constantly shows how plentiful and how powerful the country is (“Kim Jong Un's New Year Address”). Videos and images of industry, food, technology, and stocked stores picture the country as a perfect

Envision, walking down the street and seeing posters plastered all over persuading and screaming out at you how terrific, strong, and successful your leader is, wouldn’t you feel pretty great about your country? In North Korea, their society is exactly that, the article “Cult of personality: why do so many leaders force their people to worship them as heroes?” by Fred Bratman and the National Geographic video explain this concept very well. Between North Korea constantly shoving propaganda, statues, and myths into their citizens faces unequivocally their citizens will be manipulated and believe their leader is a god in disguise.

North Korea does not allow its citizens to watch foreign television such as TV dramas nor do they allow people to own personal bibles. North Korea’s “regime is afraid of potential changes in people’s mind-sets and is trying to scare off people.” (Schwartz 1) Unlike other countries, North Korea is trying to seek control towards their own people. Many of the foreign television are smuggled in from South Korea being on DVD’s & flash drives. North Korea is afraid of people rebelling towards them when watching foreign TV. People seem to gather ideas in their head. The government manages all of the television and media. People will be executed if caught watching foreign TV which is commonly the case. People are not allowed to own bibles. It’s a violation of human rights which the North does not allow. “The bible is a good ticket to a prison or concentration camp” (Schwartz 1). There is no such thing as a ‘God’. Kim Jong Un makes himself appear as one with portraits of his in people’s homes. It’s a way to make himself seem as a great leader to his people. Kim Jong Un is fearful of his own people. He needs to keep control to prevent rebellion.^ There are

Koreans in North Korea form one group of unreached people. People Groups website defines a unreached people group as one where “there is no indigenous community of believing Christians able to engage this people group with church planting.” The inability of church planting amongst this people group and the persecution of Christians in this country creates a major challenge to the spreading of Christianity.

Given the poor state of the nation's economy, North Korea's government has to rely upon the cult of personality in order to keep the population in check. Most art in the country venerates, either directly or indirectly, the 'great leader' Kim il-Sung or his successor, the current North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. Among the population, there is a strong level of belief in such apparent absurdities as the idea that Kim il-Sung created the entire world, or that Kim Jong-il controls the weather (Martin, 2004).

Kim Il Sung created this “dangerous belief system” so that North Koreans would always obey him. Before Dictatorship North Korea was an independent nation, it was a colony full of Christians. Kim Il Sung noticed how Christians worshipped the Japanese ruler who ruled Korea. When North Korea declared as a country, Kim Il Sung changed the form of Christianity and he declared himself as a God so that North Korea will always praise and pray him. Christians revolted against this, so Kim Il Sung annihilated most of them because he did not want his own people suspecting him of Juche and put lots of people in concentration camps and they still reside there. (Juche Religion) Juche originated from Marxism-Leninism. Marxism-Leninism was created by Karl Marx, some of the main points in this ideology are that a communist party should be able to perform and play major roles in society. Some other beliefs in Marxism-Leninism are that modern capitalism should turn into imperialism. (Piskunov) North Korea gained inspiration from Marxism-Leninism, which is why this ideology is one of the main ideologies that Juche originated. Some other ideologies that Juche originated were Confucianism. Confucianism was developed in China by a man named Kong Qiu (Confucius). Kong Qiu travelled across the country to spread his teachings, but at that time his beliefs was not popular and some of his beliefs were how to do the right things in life. He