It is propagated through education and media, permeating every aspect of the life in the country. During this period Buddhism and native Shamanism being harshly suppressed, restricted and persecuted. Despite what the Constitution says many suspect the ruling Kim family has eradicated religion in the country over many years and are only sponsoring official religious groups to give the illusion of freedom of religion and to deflect human rights criticism. As was previously mentioned Buddhism is the second oldest religion in Korea and was at one point the dominant religious, cultural and political force of the country, before being suppressed for around half a millennium by the Joseon Kingdom. By Gregory Sousa on July 19 2018 in Society. The religion became very popular in the northern part of Korea, especially after the 1908 Manchurian revival. Buddhism in North Korea is regulated by Korea Buddhist Federation (KBF), a state organ also responsible for monks’ wages. Later on, Christians promoted Korean Independence from Japan, but after the division they were identified with the USA and persecuted. Myths on them vary by saying that the shaman-priests are descendants of the Heavenly Kings or descendants of his male son. Buddhist monks in the country need state authorization in order to practice the religion legally and are totally dependent on state wages to maintain a living. However, some NGOs claimed that the sentence against Son was based on his contacts with Christian groups in China, his proselytizing activities, and alleged sharing of information with his brother in South Korea. Yet despite its detractors, Christianity seized an active role in society and became especially popular in the North, where Confucianism was weaker. However, it is almost impossible for outside observers to know what goes on it the country, so people can only guess based on the writings of founder Kim II-sung (1912-1994), people who have defected from the country or from intelligence reports. Because in the first half of 20th century, one fourth of Pyongyang citizens was Christian and the building of churches, religious hospitals and schools was incessant. The mosque is for the embassy staff, as well as other foreigners to use. This comes at no additional cost for you and helps us keep this website up and running. The Korean Buddhist Federation, which was set up as a part of the North Korean government, governs and scrutinizes Buddhism in the country and represents the religion at international religious conferences. After this the Joseon state started to collapse politically and culturally, persecution of Christians was disallowed, and the religion quickly gained a large foothold in the country. Wandjina – The Ancient Aliens of Australia? The religion has its origins in Korean Confucian but also has pieces of Korean Shamanism in it. In particular, those of Christian faith are persecuted the most,[11] and North Korea is ranked as the worst country in the world in terms of Christian persecution by international Catholic aid organization Aid to the Church in Need. "[16] However, others have testified in interviews that North Korean citizens have full rights to own and use religious texts and worship at church, although there may not be many young believers. [11][better source needed], In March 2006 the Government reportedly sentenced Son Jong-nam to death for espionage. This means Koreans enjoyed a standardized language, homogeneous culture and similar religious beliefs for centuries. No one knows about the current status of the religion in North Korea, but estimates place that about 16% of the population practices the religion in secret. These are the Korean religions of Shamanism and Chondoism, as well as Christianity & Buddhism. His successor Son Byong-hi made his teachings it into a religion proper, with the name Chondogyo, School of the Way of Heaven. This was all short lived as Korea was then annexed by Japan from 1910 until 1945. To become a Buddhist monk in DPR Korea, you have to study for 8 years at Kim Il Sung University’s Religious Department. 2. Today it is estimated that around 13% of North Korea's population follows the religion. Most of them fled to the South, contributing to make Christianity the biggest religion over there. In fact, there is evidence of past and present religious persecutions and most people are atheists, but the religious palette is surprisingly colorful. Barring a massive change in the ideology of the current government and leadership or the government being overthrown or collapsing, nothing is likely to change with how North Korea treats religion and those who practice religion. Yet we do know that most North Korean shamans are kangshinmu (not hereditary) and that many fled to the South to avoid persecution. [3] Christians in North Korea are said to be the most persecuted in the world. And this is why, after the division, most northern Chondoists choose to stay home and didn’t flee to the South. In the 1992 amendment, which was kept in the 1998 constitution, it says that there is freedom of religion and that religious buildings and ceremoni… The government deals harshly with all opponents,[8] and those engaged in unsanctioned religious activities often face the harshest of treatment. The status of non-religious people in North Korea, who account for almost two-thirds of the population, is influenced by a variety of different factors. Since the 1980s on, the government opened up a bit, but the heydays of Jerusalem of the Est are gone: only 1.7% of DPRK citizens are Christians. Its idea of God, called Haneullim, is the same as Korean Shamanism, but integrated with the Confucian self-cultivation of the Heaven within your mind. At this point, a reminder is needed: Korea was a unified country since the late 14th Century to 1948. Towns With The Lowest Violent Crime Rates In The US, Countries With The Biggest Population Decline, Countries With the Highest Population Growth. As mentioned in the introduction, Korean Shamanism is the oldest and native religion of Korea and the Korean people. [11], Punishable religious activities include propagating religion, possessing religious items, praying, singing hymns, and having contact with religious persons. Towards the end of the Joseon Kingdom, the religion was heavily demonized and suppressed by the growing Christian population of Korea. Juche is a full-fledged religion that worships Kim Il Sung as god, and his son, Kim Jong Il as the son of god. Religions of North Korea: Shamanism, Christianity, Juche, Chondoism and Buddhism in the most isolated country of the World With the exception of war or pandemic times, most countries in the World are somehow open to foreigners. Following the end of World War Two, Korea was divided into two countries in 1948 as America, Britain, the Soviet Union, and China could not come to an agreement on the Korean solution of a unified country. In 1946, the political Party based on this religion was founded and it became one of the three parties to join the Popular Front. Shamanism has no centralized structure, no official temples and no formal membership; DPRK releases no religion data, so it is impossible to answer this question. Getting a clue on the country is indeed no easy task. Some affirm that shamanism in North Korea is ineradicable and that people (including top elites) consult Shamans before making important decisions. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions © 2020 worldatlas.com. However, in reality there is no freedom of religion in the country. Whether or not Kim Jong Un becomes worshipped as the grandson of god remains to be seen. It has been around since prehistory and despite being persecuted for centuries, it’s still alive in the country. Korean Shamanism(신교, 神教) is based on the belief in Gods, Ancestors and Spirits and the power of the Shamans to communicate with them. The country also promotes state-sponsored atheism, since it is communist and has a national doctrine of Juche that says people should break from being dependent on spiritual ideas. The major focuses of the religion are on personal cultivation, social welfare and the rejection of any kind of afterlife. [17], "North Korea's sidelined human rights crisis", "North Korea: The World's Worst Religious Persecutor", "North Korea defector reveals TERROR of Christian life in Kim's kingdom", North Korea: International Religious Freedom Report 2007, "North Korea confirms US citizen is arrested", "ANNUAL REPORT OF THE U.S. COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM", "Aid to the Church in Need | North Korea", Public executions seen in 7 North Korea cities: Source tells JoongAng Ilbo 80 people killed for minor offenses, Research On Religion | Darren Slade on Missionizing North Korea, 2018 Report on International Religious Freedom: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Freedom_of_religion_in_North_Korea&oldid=967302259, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2012, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles lacking reliable references from June 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 12 July 2020, at 13:10. [2] According to one report at least 200,000 Christians have gone missing since 1953.