The North Korean authorities have recently begun patting themselves on the back for bringing religion under control, claiming that “organized underground services and secret prayer groups have almost disappeared.” The authorities believe that religious activity has been practically exterminated, which they consider to be a significant win in stabilizing the regime.
According to a Daily NK source in North Korea recently, the North Korean authorities credit this success to intensified crackdowns by the Ministry of State Security’s counterintelligence departments since the enactment of the Youth Education Guarantee Act in September 2021.
Article 41 of the Youth Education Guarantee Act includes religious acts on its list of activities young people must eschew. Since the law was enacted four years ago, the Ministry of State Security’s counterintelligence departments have kept a very close eye on such activities, as well as on similar behavior.
“There’s no separate department dedicated to cracking down on religion, but counterintelligence departments classify religious activity as an ‘anti-state crime’ and investigate it themselves,” the source said. “Provincial, city and county security agencies conduct autonomous crackdowns, and in particular, there are intensive crackdowns in border regions, where outside information often enters.”
Returnees from abroad under special surveillance
“The authorities doubly or triply watch people who have studied abroad or workers who were sent abroad—people who have experience living overseas,” the source said. “If they are caught engaging in religious activity after they return home, they are immediately arrested.”
The primary targets of the crackdowns are Protestants and Catholics. As a matter of internal policy, such people are “sent straight to political prison camps.” Buddhists and people engaged in folk beliefs are also targeted, but they receive lighter punishments.
The crackdowns are based on tips and intelligence from informants. When suspicious activity is detected, the authorities conduct operations to collect evidence.
This process is kept completely secret—in particular, the North Korean authorities have not recently used religion-related incidents for public indoctrination, the source said. Another source said this is because “they believe if they publicize cases involving religion, it would actually propagate religion.”
Individuals busted for religious activity are isolated in the “total control zones” of political prison camps, along with three generations of their families. This suggests the aim is to “completely stop ideological contamination.”
“Within the Ministry of State Security, the priority is on ferreting people out, rather than on ideological reeducation,” the source said. “The commonly held view within the ministry is that violators should go straight to the political prison camp—no reeducation for them.”
In the face of such stern punishments, religious activity inside North Korea has gradually lessened, with underground churches that existed in some regions virtually disappearing. The North Korean authorities believe only private practices remain, such as solitary prayer or making the sign of the cross.
“(North Korea’s) religious repression goes beyond simply control—it’s a core strategy for regime survival,” the source said. “The dominant belief is that religious oppression will continue for as long as the regime lasts.”
According to the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB)’s 2025 white paper on religious freedom in North Korea, published on Oct. 27, only 1.7% of the 15,303 respondents had personally experienced religion in North Korea. Most learned about religion while residing in China or a third country.
Only 4% said they had seen religious items such as Bibles or crosses. This appears to be because the very possession of religious items in North Korea is grounds for arrest and punishment.
