Ethan Walker
North Korea is often considered an atheist state, and the country's constitution guarantees freedom of religion as a fundamental right. However, the United Nations secretary-general has stated that the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion... continues to be denied, with no alternative belief systems tolerated by the authorities. Despite this hostile regime, there is evidence that Catholicism is alive and well in North Korea today. The Catholic Church in North Korea has a community of several hundred adherents who practice under the supervision of the state-established Korean Catholic Association (KCA). The most prominent congregation is that of Pyongyang, which meets at Changchung Cathedral, one of only four official Christian places of worship in the city.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Catholics in North Korea | 3,000 (claimed by North Korea's state-run Korean Catholic Association in 2014) but the United Nations suggested the number was closer to 800. A Korean priest claimed there are about 10,000 people in North Korea who remember their Catholic faith. |
| Number of Christians in North Korea | Between 50,000 to 70,000 Christians are currently in North Korean gulags. A UK faith-based NGO, Open Doors, estimated there to be around 400,000 Christians in North Korea, which is around 1.5% of the entire 26 million population. |
| Official Position of North Korea on Religion | North Korea's constitution guarantees freedom of religion as a fundamental right. However, North Korea is often considered an atheist state. |
| North Korean Government's Treatment of Christians | The North Korean government reportedly continues to execute, torture, arrest and physically abuse citizens for their involvement in religious activities. Unauthorized Christians face arrest, torture, or public execution. |
| Number of Official Christian Places of Worship in Pyongyang | There are four official Christian places of worship in Pyongyang, two are Russian Orthodox, one is Roman Catholic, and one is Protestant. |
| History of Catholicism in North Korea | The first Catholic missionaries arrived in Korea in 1794. Pyongyang was known as the "Korean Jerusalem" as it had the highest number of Christian believers in Korea before the division of Korea. |
| Current State of Catholicism in North Korea | Catholicism is alive and well in North Korea today. The Catholic Church in North Korea retains a community of several hundred adherents who practice under the supervision of the state-established Korean Catholic Association. |
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What You'll Learn
Catholicism's presence in North Korea
Catholicism in North Korea has a long history, with the religion first being introduced to Korea in the 1700s by Jesuit missionaries. Over time, the religion took root and grew, with Pyongyang becoming a major hub for Christians in the region. However, since the division of Korea and the establishment of the DPRK, the Catholic Church in North Korea has faced significant challenges and persecution.
Prior to the division of Korea, Pyongyang was a center of Christianity in the region, known as the "Korean Jerusalem". Many Catholics lived in the city, and it served as the only diocese in northern Korea. However, following the division and the establishment of the DPRK, the Communist government under Kim Il-sung persecuted Christians as imperialist collaborators and spies. This persecution continued through the Korean War and beyond, with much of the Catholic community being killed, imprisoned, or forced to flee.
Today, the Catholic Church in North Korea operates under the supervision of the state-established Korean Catholic Association (KCA), which is not recognized by the Vatican. The KCA claims that there are about 3,000 registered Catholics in the country, while the United Nations estimates a smaller number of around 800. The KCA operates the Changchung Cathedral in Pyongyang, which is one of only four official Christian places of worship in the city. Services at the cathedral are led by laypeople and include hymns and prayers, but no sacraments.
Despite the persecution and challenges faced by Catholics in North Korea, there is evidence that the faith still persists in the country. Refugees and defectors from North Korea have reported seeing elderly women reciting the Rosary and hearing about underground churches. Some South Korean priests and bishops have also been allowed to visit North Korea and celebrate Mass at Changchung Cathedral, although there is debate over whether the attendees at these Masses are genuine believers or not. Nonetheless, the persistence of Catholicism in North Korea despite the hostile regime has been described as "miraculous".
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Changchung Cathedral
Before the division of Korea, Pyongyang was the city with the highest number of Christian believers in Korea and was known as the "Korean Jerusalem". By 1945, nearly one-sixth of its citizens were Christians. Therefore, Pyongyang was made the only diocese in northern Korea. After the division of Korea, the Communist government under Kim Il Sung persecuted Christians as imperialist collaborators and spies. Much of the Catholic community was either killed or imprisoned, and many fled south. The original cathedral, built of red brick in the late 19th century, was destroyed in the Korean War by American forces.
In 1988, a new cathedral was opened in East Pyongyang, along with two nondenominational Protestant churches. The cathedral is not affiliated with the Holy See and has no bishop or ordained priest. There is also no resident priest. Masses are occasionally offered by foreign clergy when they visit Pyongyang. In 2015, an agreement was reached between the KCA and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, allowing South Korean priests and bishops to celebrate Mass and administer the sacraments in the cathedral on major feast days.
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Catholic persecution
Catholicism first came to Korea in the 1790s, a decade after the return of Yi Sung-hun, a diplomat who was the first Korean to be baptised into the Catholic faith. The penetration of Western ideas and Christianity in Korea became known as Seohak ("Western Learning"). A study from 1801 found that more than half of the families that had converted to Catholicism were linked to the Silhak school. However, largely because converts refused to perform Confucian ancestral rituals, the Joseon government prohibited the proselytization of Christianity. Some Catholics were executed during the early nineteenth century, but the restrictive law was not well enforced. A large number of Christians lived in the northern half of the peninsula where Confucian influence was not as strong as in the south.
After the division of Korea, the Communist government under Kim Il Sung persecuted Christians as imperialist collaborators and spies. Much of the Catholic community was either killed or imprisoned, and many more fled south. The original cathedral, built of red brick in the late 19th century, was destroyed in the Korean War by American forces.
Today, there are four state-sanctioned Churches in Pyongyang: two are Russian Orthodox, one is Roman Catholic, and one is Protestant. They exist as “proof” that North Korea tolerates religion. The Catholic Church in North Korea retains a community of several hundred adherents who practice under the supervision of the state-established Korean Catholic Association (KCA) rather than the Catholic hierarchy. The KCA was set up on 30 June 1988 and has been led by Samuel Chang Jae-on since its establishment. The KCA published a catechism and a prayer book in 1991. The Changchung Cathedral was built in Pyongyang by the North Korean government in 1988 and is operated by the KCA. It has no priests and no bishop, but Mass is occasionally offered by foreign clergy when they visit Pyongyang and is celebrated on major feast days by South Korean priests.
However, the reaction toward the North Korean Church varies among South Korean priests and faithful. Some were impressed by the liturgy in which they participated, while others have come to have suspicions, asking: “Are the North Koreans who come to Mass at Changchung Cathedral true believers?” Although attendees are mobilized by the North Korean regime, it is believed that some of them are genuine Catholic faithful.
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Catholic missionaries in North Korea
The Catholic Church in North Korea has a long history, with Catholic missionaries first introducing Christianity to the Korean peninsula in the late 18th century. The writings of the Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci, resident at the imperial court in Beijing, were brought to Korea from China in the 17th century, and scholars of the Silhak ("Practical Learning") were attracted to Catholic doctrines. In the 1790s, the penetration of Western ideas and Christianity in Korea became known as Seohak ("Western Learning"). A large number of Christians lived in the northern half of the peninsula, where Confucian influence was less strong than in the south. Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, was known as the "Korean Jerusalem" due to its large base of Christian followers.
However, the spread of Christianity in Korea was not without opposition. In the early 19th century, some Catholics were executed, and the Joseon government prohibited the proselytization of Christianity due to the refusal of converts to perform Confucian ancestral rituals. During the Japanese occupation of Korea from 1910 to 1945, Christians were heavily persecuted. After World War II, the Communist government under Kim Il-Sung persecuted Christians as imperialist collaborators and spies, resulting in the killing, imprisonment, or exile of many Catholics.
Today, the Catholic Church in North Korea operates under the supervision of the state-established Korean Catholic Association (KCA), which was set up in 1988. The KCA is not affiliated with the Holy See and has no ordained clergy of its own. The Changchung Cathedral in Pyongyang, built by the North Korean government in 1988, is operated by the KCA and serves as the nominal cathedral of the Diocese of Pyongyang. It is one of only four official Christian places of worship in the city, along with two Russian Orthodox churches and one Protestant church. While the KCA claimed to have about 3,000 registered Catholics in 2014, the United Nations estimated the number to be closer to 800.
The Catholic Church in North Korea faces significant challenges. Proselytism is strictly forbidden, and religious texts are seized by customs upon entry into the country. The KCA has declined invitations to attend Papal Masses and has released communiques denouncing the South Korean government. The lack of an ordained clergy and the state control over the Church have led to suspicions among some South Korean priests and faithful about the authenticity of the North Korean Catholic community. However, humanitarian exchanges and aid efforts through the Changchung Cathedral have provided opportunities for North and South Korean Catholics to worship together.
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The future of Catholicism in North Korea
North Korea is often considered an atheist state, with the United Nations secretary-general stating that "the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion... continues to be denied, with no alternative belief systems tolerated by the authorities." The North Korean government reportedly executes, tortures, arrests, and physically abuses citizens for their involvement in religious activities. This is despite Article 66 of the DPRK's constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion as a fundamental right.
Christianity, in particular, suffers grievously under the regime, as it is a religion associated with the United States, and Christians believe political rules are subject to God's judgment. The Catholic Church in North Korea retains a community of several hundred adherents who practice under the supervision of the state-established Korean Catholic Association (KCA) rather than the Catholic hierarchy. The KCA claimed that it had about 3,000 registered Catholics in 2014, but the United Nations suggested the number was closer to 800. The KCA operates Changchung Cathedral in Pyongyang, one of only four official Christian places of worship in the city. It is the nominal cathedral of the Diocese of Pyongyang and is not affiliated with the Holy See. Masses are occasionally offered by foreign clergy when they visit Pyongyang.
Furthermore, the North Korean regime's hostile attitude towards religion and its history of persecuting Christians do not bode well for the future of Catholicism in the country. The lack of accurate data and the underground nature of many Christian groups make it difficult to predict the trajectory of Catholicism in North Korea. However, dialogue, collaboration, and exchange between the South and North Korean churches could potentially pave the way for a more positive future for Catholicism in the country. Additionally, the work of organizations like Aid to the Church in Need, which supports persecuted churches worldwide, may provide some hope for the future of Catholicism in North Korea.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, there are Catholics in North Korea, but it is difficult to know how many. The North Korean government claims there are 3,000 registered Catholics in the country, but the United Nations puts the number at closer to 800, and a Korean priest estimates there are 10,000 people in North Korea who remember their Catholic faith.
Yes, Catholics in North Korea are persecuted. Since 1953, at least 200,000 Christians have gone missing in North Korea, and an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 Christians are currently in North Korean gulags. Christians are executed, tortured, arrested, and physically abused for their involvement in religious activities.
There is one official Catholic cathedral in North Korea, Changchung Cathedral in Pyongyang, which was completed in 1988. It is one of four official Christian places of worship in the country and is operated by the Korean Catholic Association, which is not recognised by the Vatican.
Yes, priests and Catholics from outside North Korea have been able to visit Changchung Cathedral and attend Mass with North Korean Catholics. However, North Korean authorities have forbidden foreign visitors from contacting North Korean citizens personally.
