History of Christianity in North Korea

History of North Korean Christianity

 

1. Before independence

In 1938,  The General Assembly of Presbyterian Church refuse to worship Japanese gods, or shrine, the persecution of Japanese became harsher than ever. 200 churches were closed, 2000 christians were arrested and 50 pastors were martyred all through out the Korea. Because of it, the number of Christians, which were nearly 700,000 decreased in to half. After Korea gain independence from Japan, all the body of Christians splended the built of churches  and association.

2.   The time of Limitation (1945~1950)

One North Korean Christian copied Bible
to keep it.

Between 1945 and 1950, it was time of limitation upon Chritianity. Il-sung Kim and his followers couldn’t do full suppression but only on little things such as singing hymns loudly or having a large meeting of christians. It was because his communist association had little power and the people of North Korea didn’t support them.  Moreover, North Korean christianity had much more power in politics and Il-sung Kim needed their “cooperation”. As I said they condoned church, buddist temple, or Catholic church but limited their activity. However, they limited more on Christianity which had more power than other religion . They collapsed the economic base of Christians by confiscate the lands.  They forced christians to support Il-Sung Kim and absorbed civil religious organization.

3. The time of tough suppression (1950~1953)

 From 1950, Communist arrested christians if they found out the religious observances. They combed the houses  of religious people and if they found religious books, they regarded them as rebellious documents and arrested the people. The Korean war became a trial to every christians. As the war occured, North Korean government they arrested Christians and ordered to Kill them all. Christians rebelled against communists, and as the UN troops retreat, many of christians followed them.

North Korean government destroeyd churches and many times they were used as storages for war supplies. They even put useless tanks or cannons to make churches the target of air-raid.  North Korean government  made people who saw that the churches were destroyed by American air-raid to have hostilities towards American and their religion-which is Christianity. Non believers in North Korea regarded Christians as traitor from that time on, and still North Korean government use them for persecution. 

North Korean governement tried to sweep the christianity before the Korean War, and even during the war. Because many of pastors and believers were killed at that time, North Korean Christianity got a decesive blow. From that time on, North Korean Christianity hide underground .

4. The time of hunting down underground churches(1954~1971)

   As the North Korean government failed to accomplished the goal during the Korean War, they had a meeting and decieded to root out the anticommunist force by strengthen the policy(계급교양) . It is the education which strongly oppose the theism but believe in atheism. In the company, society, village, communists gathered the ones who were rebelled to communism and told them to confess their  free will. So the christians had to go to underground which others may not know. To track down the underground churches, North Korean government analyze the informations of each north korean.

 Because of it, many of churches were found and the famous incident was the story of pastor Man-Hwa Lee. From 1954, when the government prohibitted the private management of farms and forced to work in collective farm, pastor Lee was put in to a farm and worked hard. Meanwhile, he met people by people and teach them Bible. Due to that, many underground christians were emerged, and after the ceasefire there were 10 secret organizations, and there were more than 2000 christians. The worship was taken during the recess without formaliy, and talked about Bible naturally. The North Korean government thought there’s something strange so they sent 300 secret polices and searched the house of workers who were absent on sunday. There were 2 families who had worship, and because they were caught by the polices, they were tortured  horribly. Pastor Man-hwa Lee, who was unable to bear the sight of them tortured,  appeared and was martyred with 20 other christians.  Communist exterminated underground christians more and more.

In 1959, the book written by Ha-chul Jung, why do we have to oppose christianity? states clearly about the suppression policy upon christians. There are several reasons for them-which are not resonable-. As you see this communists considered christians as political prisoners.

1.        A lot of  christians betrayed North Korea and defected to South Korea.
2. When North Korean forces retreat, christians helped UN forces devotively
3. Some christians exaggerate that American forces are ’Soldiers of God’, and rebelled to communism  
4. North Koreans refused to join the North Korean army, but fought for American soldiers.

North Korean government forfeited all the church facilities and used them as communists’ conference hall, kindergarten etc… and didn’t leave a church in Pyoung-An-Do(state) At this time they isolited and administrated the left christians.

6. The time of disguising faith(1972~1980)

As North and South Korea’s relationship has improved, they started to “disguise Faith”. ’Association of Christians’,'Choseon Buddist Union’, and ‘Catholic Headquaters’ activated their move. These pseudo pseudo organizations were for several reasons.

1.  To use to hunt the underground churches
2. Used as “subterfuge” to show the world that there is a freedom for religious people
3. To instigate Korean Christians into antigovernment campaign

In August 9th, 1972, there was North-South Redcross conference, and korean reporters asked  Pastor Yang-Uk Kang, who is brother of Il-Sung Kim’s grandfather and general. They asked this. ” Why are there no churches in North Korea, or Are there any christianity here?”  and he replied, “Because of the Korean War which was caused by american imperialists, all the churches were destroyed because of  air raid.

Therefore there are many people who gave up to believe religion, and still there are some of them who are eager to believe but we don’t know where they are.”

Pastor Yang-Uk Kang suggested contact with both countries’ christians in September 1972,  started to oppose South Korea. Moreover they  tried to permeate international religious group such as WCC. However WCC refuced because they claim that they cannot grasp the reality of christianity in North Korea. After they join to CPC, they slander and blame South Korea. They focused on political activity so that they can win other christians.

The reason why North Korean government kept on religious association can be found in the secret letter of Il-Sung Kim in 1975. It says, “We have questions why do we  have those religious associations even though we oppose the religion. First, Korea is divided in to two, and there are bunch of religious people around the world so if we don’t acknowledge religions, then there will be more enemies who oppose us. Second, the foregioners or Korean Japaneses who visit this country inquire why do we prohibit to have a religion. Then we answer, we permit religion but the people are not awakened to have a religion. Also there are so many religious people in South Korea, if they think that we kill every people who have faith in religion, they will join to the ones who are against us. So we keep these unnecessary associations.”

7. The time of publicize the freedom of religion(1980~present)

    Though they keep persecuting christians, they opened their culture to the West, pretending they give the religious freedom to the people.  Especially, when there are visits of overseas Korean or foreigner they distributes the Bibles and Hymns and arrange worships in the prepared place, they publicize that they are assure the religious freedom. 

The North Korean government emphasizes Christianity if they think that it is usable to promote, but actually they prohibits christianity but brainwash the people with the new religion claims that Kim Il-Sung is the only god.