Part of: AsiaEast AsiaKorean Peninsula
Discover
The identity of the nation
North Korea occupies the northern half of the Korean peninsula and is today one of the most closed and controlled countries in the world. About 26 million people live under a one-party government that regulates nearly every aspect of public and private life, from education to the information that circulates within the country. They are a disciplined and resilient people, deeply shaped by decades of isolation, scarcity and constant surveillance.
Few people know that, in the early 20th century, the capital Pyongyang came to be called the “Jerusalem of the East”: one of Asia’s largest Christian movements flourished there, with thousands of churches and a revival in 1907 that deeply marked the history of Korean faith. That Christian past was almost entirely erased after the division of the peninsula in 1945 and the arrival of a regime that came to demand near religious devotion to the country’s leadership, taking the place once held by the church.
Today, the Christian faith survives only in secret. There is no religious freedom: gathering to pray, owning a Bible or talking about Jesus are acts that can send entire families to prison. Even so, it is believed that hundreds of thousands of Christians keep their faith alive in silence, often without knowing about one another, passing on what little they know of the Word from generation to generation.
For those who want to get involved with this people, the most realistic path today is through persevering prayer and care for North Koreans who manage to leave the country, often living as refugees in neighboring nations. It is a nation that carries, at the same time, one of the richest Christian histories in Asia and one of the harshest realities of persecution in the world today, which makes it one of the greatest challenges and one of the greatest hopes for restoration for the global church.
- For centuries, the Korean peninsula lived under the Joseon dynasty, marked by Confucianism and a strong sense of its own identity.
- 1885 The first Protestant missionaries arrive on the Korean peninsula, sparking the rapid growth of Christianity in the north.
- 1907 The great Pyongyang Revival spreads a movement of repentance and prayer that transforms the Korean church and establishes the city as a Christian center of Asia.
- 1910 The peninsula is annexed by the Empire of Japan, which rules the region until 1945.
- 1945 With the end of World War II, the peninsula is divided into two occupation zones along the 38th parallel.
- 1948 The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is founded, under strong Soviet influence.
- 1950-1953 The Korean War devastates the country and cements the division between North and South.
- 1990s A severe famine, called by the government the "Arduous March", kills hundreds of thousands of people.
- 2006 The country carries out its first nuclear test, deepening its international isolation.
- 2011 A new leadership succession keeps power within the same family for a third generation.
- Today The country remains one of the most closed in the world, with the Christian faith surviving in secret among thousands of families.
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Koreanofficial and native language of nearly the entire population; the alphabet used, hangul, was created in the 15th century
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Pyongyang dialectbasis of the country's official linguistic standard, with vocabulary that has drifted from the Korean spoken in the South over decades of separation
North Korea occupies the northern half of the Korean peninsula, in East Asia, bordering China to the north, a small stretch of Russia to the northeast, and South Korea to the south. About 80% of the territory is covered by mountains and plateaus, leaving little flat land for agriculture. The west coast has wider plains, while the east coast, washed by the Sea of Japan, is narrower and more rugged.
Major cities
- PyongyangCapital and largest city, center of political power and the country's major construction projects
- HamhungSecond-largest city, a chemical industry hub in the east
- ChongjinMajor industrial port in the northeast, near the border with China and Russia
- SinuijuBorder city with China, the main point of trade between the two countries
- WonsanPort city on the east coast, with beaches and a developing tourist area
- KaesongHistoric city near the border with South Korea, former capital of Korean kingdoms
Climate and temperature
Naengmyeon de Pyongyang
Thin buckwheat noodles served cold in broth, the capital's most famous dish.
Sinseollo
Traditional hot pot with meat, vegetables and eggs, served in a special pan; a dish of noble origin.
Bindaetteok
Fried pancake made from ground mung beans, filled with vegetables and, sometimes, meat.
Jokbal
Pig's trotters slow cooked in soy sauce with spices.
Mandu
Dumpling filled with meat or vegetables, steamed or fried.
Kimchi
Fermented, seasoned cabbage, a side dish found in almost every Korean meal.
Seaweed soup (miyeok-guk)
Nutritious seaweed broth, traditionally served on birthdays and after childbirth.
Songpyeon
Half-moon shaped rice cake, filled and steamed over pine needles; eaten during harvest festivals.
Understand
Culture and spirituality
2a · The culture
Respect for hierarchy and age
Confucian tradition, an inheritance of centuries of Korean culture, shapes respect for elders and authorities at every level of society.
Unity and collective discipline
From an early age, the group's interest is placed above the individual's, forming a disciplined and resilient people.
Pride in self-reliance
Decades of rhetoric around the juche ideology, which teaches that the country must be self-sufficient, have built a strong sense of national identity.
Mass performances
Large-scale mass dance and gymnastics displays express the country's cultural identity through precision and unity.
Honor for family
Respect for parents and preserving the family name remain central, even after decades of political change.
Resilience in the face of scarcity
Generations that lived through famine and lack of resources have developed a great capacity for adaptation.
Forgotten Christian past
Few people today know that the capital was once one of the largest Christian centers in Asia, before the country's division in 1945.
Harsh winter cuisine
The food reflects a cold climate: fermented foods, hot broths and preserves help people get through the long winters.
- Criticizing the country's leaders Any negative comment is considered an extremely grave offense and can bring serious consequences for local hosts.
- Photographing monuments incompletely Statues and official portraits must appear in full in photos, never cropped or used mockingly.
- Ignoring expected gestures of respect On visits to monuments, a respectful bow is expected of any visitor.
- Discussing religion or politics in public This can put both the visitor and any local citizen involved in the conversation at risk.
- Displaying Bibles or faith texts openly Visible religious materials can put at risk both the person carrying them and the person receiving them.
- Comparing the country with South Korea The topic of the peninsula's division is sensitive and should be handled with care.
- Walking around without designated escorts Moving about on one's own is frowned upon and can cause embarrassment for everyone involved.
2b · The field
Areas of spiritual battle and cultural captivity to cover in prayer. Tap each point to understand:
The State demands near religious devotion to its leaders, taking the place that belongs only to God.
The official doctrine of self-reliance replaces faith and dependence on God with obedience to the party.
A network of mutual surveillance fuels distrust even within families.
Decades of closed borders have cut off access to the Word and contact with the global church.
Practices of consulting spirits and divination persist beneath the officially atheist surface.
The scars of the famine that struck the country in the 1990s still weigh on families' trust in the future.
Entire families can be punished for generations because of one relative's faith or disobedience.
Owning a Bible or praying in a group can mean imprisonment, which pushes faith into absolute secrecy.
Near total control over what people read, see and hear makes it hard for the truth of the gospel to circulate.
Escapes, imprisonments and surveillance separate entire families, leaving deep wounds.
While most face scarcity, a small elite close to power lives in abundance and privilege.
Being a Christian in North Korea means living out one’s faith in absolute secrecy. The State demands total and exclusive loyalty to the country’s leadership, and any belief that departs from that is treated as a threat to public order. Praying in a group, keeping a Bible or talking about Jesus, even at home, can lead to imprisonment in forced labor camps, along with the entire family.
It is estimated that tens of thousands of Christians are currently held in these camps, often without trial and for an indefinite time. The mutual surveillance encouraged by the State means that even neighbors and relatives can inform on one another, which forces believers to live isolated even from other Christians, often without knowing whether anyone else of the faith is nearby.
Even so, whole families pass on the faith in whispers, from generation to generation, keeping passages of the Bible in memory when they cannot keep the book on paper. This invisible, silent church is one of the costliest expressions of faithfulness to God found anywhere in the world today.
The persecution score runs from 0 to 100: the higher it is, the greater the pressure on Christians.
North Korea is one of the least evangelized countries in the world. Practically the entire population, more than 26 million Koreans, is considered unreached, living under a regime that suppresses every public expression of faith. Besides the Korean people, small Chinese and Russian communities live in the country; the Chinese community also largely has little access to the gospel. No people group in the country is currently classified as significantly reached.
- 99.3% Unreached (26.4M)
- 0% Minimally reached (0)
- 0% Superficially reached (5K)
- 0.7% Partially reached (188K)
- 0% Significantly reached (0)
- 50% Unreached (2)
- 0% Minimally reached (0)
- 25% Superficially reached (1)
- 25% Partially reached (1)
- 0% Significantly reached (0)
Source of people group data: Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net). Estimates, may vary.
Deaf Frontier
Russian
Mandarin-speaking Han Chinese
Korean
Source: Joshua Project. Estimates, may vary.
- 75% With complete Bible (3)
- 25% Only portions of the Bible (1)
Source: Joshua Project and Progress.Bible. Estimates, may vary.
Pray
Intercede for this nation
Send and sustain
Not everyone goes, everyone takes part
Not everyone goes. Everyone takes part.
Behind every worker among these peoples stands a network of people who pray without ceasing, care for the family left behind, and faithfully sustain the work. Sending is mission too.
Start with your church: introduce this nation, adopt it in ongoing prayer, and walk alongside those God is raising up to go.
Go
Practical details for those who want to go
Local time
Cost of living
data very limited because of the country's economic isolation
Cost by city
Reference values (source: Numbeo). Confirm before traveling.
Practical points for those who go
- Bring cash: international cards and apps do not work there; dollars, euros or yuan are usually accepted.
- Do not count on free internet: access to the worldwide web is virtually nonexistent for most people.
- Dress discreetly: simple clothing helps avoid drawing unnecessary attention.
- Be ready to always have company: local guides accompany visitors for the entire stay, which is part of the country's routine.
- Bring clothing for extreme temperatures: winters are very cold and dry, and summers are hot and humid.
- Keep faith materials discreet: Bibles and religious texts displayed publicly can bring risk to you and to anyone nearby.
- Learn a few words of Korean: a simple gesture of respect that is usually well received.