CHRISTIANITY IS CONSIDERED AS POLITICAL CRIMES IN NORTH KOREA

Medina, Nara Nayl D. 2012-97947 BS Food Technology G-5R

Thesis Statement: Religious activities such as reading the Bible, sharing the world of God and others that are associated with Christianity are considered as political crimes in North Korea because it challenges the ideology of the Kim dynasty.

Long before the division of Korea, it suffered a lot from being invaded by powerful countries such as Russia, China and Japan. Although Korea was conquered many times by China, it gained benefits from the invasion for it received most of its culture from the said country. Japan, on the other hand, invaded Korea for more than once and held its territory for long periods of time. Eventually the Japanese occupation ended in 1945 (Latourette, 1964).

According to Latourette (1964), the separation of Korea happened after World War II. It was divided into two: the south and the north. The south became Republic of Korea which was recognized and assisted by United Nations and United States. While the north made ties with Russia and the Peoples Republic of China and became Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPKR).

The Communist Party governed DPKR but only a small fraction of the population joined in 1962. Within one year of existence, the most prominent leader was Kim Il Sung (Latourette, 1964). The success of Kim Il Sung in gaining power and control over North Korea through communism is because of three factors which include ability, luck and timing. Being intelligent yet ruthless and having an extreme commitment are the traits of a communist leader that Russians saw in Kim. With these characteristics, he gained the support of the Soviet Union and achieved his goals easily (Scalapino and Lee, 1972). There are many times he had been challenged, but he had always won out over his opponents. Despite all the hindrances and interference, he survived through all these and manage to gain the trust of hundreds of thousands North Korean people.

More than 60% of North Korean population is nonreligious due to the reason of the countrys official state of being atheist (Safra and Yeshua, 2002). However, there are still religious practices that survived despite the suppression. These religious practices that still exist in North Korea are Christianity, Buddhism and Shamanism. In Buddhist temples, religious practices are done secretly because it is handled by the Korean Workers Party and are preserved as heritage sites for tourist attractions. Shamanism, on the other hand, is a traditional folk belief which is widely spread in North Korea. It is a practice of fortune-telling which is operated semi-openly since many officials believe in them. Both Buddhism and Shamanism are considered as superstitions that do not threaten the ideology of Kim dynasty. However, Protestant Christianity that has been associated to South Korea and previously linked to American imperialism is regarded as the main rival of the deification of Kim (Hawk, 2008).

DPRK constitution stated that citizens shall have the freedom of religious belief and have religious liberty. Nevertheless, the government still refuses to respect this right. It is strictly prohibited to be involved in any religious activities. Only those religious groups that are sponsored by the government are allowed (Joyce, et al., 2009). Suppression from religious freedom is clearly seen in North Korea and the condition is not acceptable.

Religious activities such as having contact with religious groups in China or worshipping in other groups that are not approved by the government can be considered as political offenses and crimes. Preaching, possessing and distributing Bibles and other religious books, sharing ones faith with others, evangelizing, engaging in missionary activities, and converting to Christianity are some of the activities that are strictly prohibited (Hawk, 2008).

People who are caught being engaged in these kinds of activities are recognized as political offenders and are punished by the government. There are corresponding penalties to these political offenders and it is not easy to escape. Some of the penalties include imprisonment in political camps, torture, brutal interrogations, inhumane conditions in detention and execution (An, 1995).

People living outside North Korea have limited access and knowledge of what was really happening inside because North Korea is the most secretive, closed and strictly controlled nation in the world (North Korea, 1977). No one is allowed to freely leave North Korea, therefore, most information and stories are from the testimonies of defectors and refugees. The officials on South Korean Intelligence once claimed that there are political camps

existing inside North Korea and many prisoners are serving life sentences. Information regarding these is confirmed by the North Korean defectors and by the photos taken by the US during their investigation (Degenhardt, 1983).

Political camps are managed by the state security department where suspected political offenders are sent to be punished and do labour. These camps consist of numerous prison labour colonies and are found in the north eastern and central North Korea. The conditions inside these prisons are harsh and life threatening. Many prisoners die because of illnesses, torture, starvation and accidents (An, 1995).

Once suspected as an offender, three generations of the family of that individual will be arrested and imprisoned in the camps. The North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Chong Il both embraced the application of the three generation punishment of the family of the individual who committed a mistake (An, 1995). Prisoners who are guilty are deported to political camps with their parents, children, siblings, and even with grandparents and grandchildren without any conviction and imprisoned for the rest of their lives.

A former guard in one of the political prisoners camp who was also a defector, An Myong Chol, witnessed many inhumane treatments of inmates in the camp done by DPRK authorities.

An Myong Chol (1995) says camp inmates are slave laborers. The sole reason the inmates are not killed in the first place is to squeeze work out of them. Maximum security were created to provide inmates the least amount of nourishment required to sustain life while working them like slaves until they die.

Said Mr. An (1995), North Korea exploits its 200,000 inmates to make products it then distributes to the general population. In fact the internment camps produce about 40% of North Koreas farm products, mostly corns, and 40% of its coal. (An, 1995, Introduction Section, para. 1-4)

According to An (1995), most of the inmates have a height not more than 5 feet due to the over working since they came in the camp. The inmates have been hit so many times causing cuts and scars in their faces and entire body. Most have deformities such as having no ears, crooked nose, and blind eyes that resulted from beatings. In Camp 22 where he trained as a guard, there are almost 2,000 inmates that are still working despite missing some of their limbs. They are not treated as humans. If the inmates do not follow all the camp regulations, they are sent to

detention barracks and forced to shave their head. They are provided with corn and small amount of salt for their everyday meal. All inmates in the barracks die because of lack of nourishment.

Execution is another harsh way of punishing the inmates. Even though he has not witnessed an execution personally, An (1995) confirmed based on what he heard from others that public executions were not allowed. Executions were conducted under tight security. Some of the worst executions in women are cutting off their breast and sexual organ. Other inmates were knock out by hitting their heads with hammer, cutting out internal organs using knives or beating them with clubs until they were dead. These executed inmates were used as feeds for wild animals. An (1995) verified these execution stories because the people conducted the executions themselves told him.

Due to the harsh punishments on political prisoners, many inmates attempt to escape the political camps. Even those who were not suspected as political prisoners attempt to leave the country. China is the nearest place to escape from North Korea. Some refugees who flee to China are converted to Protestants and engaged themselves in religious activities. National Security Agency (NSA) and Public Security Agency (PSA) are surveillance agencies who are in charge of recognizing, finding and arresting political offenders, illegal religious groups, and foreign spies. Even though shortage of food may be a reason of why North Koreans escape the country, NSA does not target these people. They arrested refugees who escape to become religious believer or attempts to go to South Korea. People who escapes the border are forced to go back to North Korea and upon returning they are severely punished (Hawk, 2008). As of late 2004, the North Korean government takes a step forward on the prevention of the border crossers that leave the country and increases their punishments (Human Rights Watch [HRW], 2007).

Inhumane treatment of people in North Korea which include public execution, torture and forced labour are considered as abuse to human rights. There are also political prison camps existing in the grounds of North Korea wherein the prisoners are deprived from their freedom of speech. The failure of the government to protect the citizens lead to the decision of South Korea on supporting a resolution of United Nations that disapproves the records of human rights in North Korea. The government of North Korea denies the accusations of violating the human rights in political camps. They claim that the accused inhumane treatments of the inmates are prohibited by

the law. Based on the testimonies of the defectors and refugees, the treatments inside the political camps are opposite to what the North Korean government stated (Jeffries, 2010).

The government persecuted religiously active people particularly Christians ever since the foundation of the North Korean state. Christians were seen as tools of anti-North Korea counter-revolutionary imperialist aggression. One of the most important reasons why the government of North Korea repressed organized religious activity and considers this as political crime is because it challenges the ideology of the Kim dynasty (HRW, 2007).

According to Abercrombie, Hill, and Turner (1980), ideology is a belief that is classified in different kinds depending on a specific society where it was developed. Ideology exists in North Korea. The main subject of ideology is none other than their Great Leader Kim Il Sung.

Kim Il Sung, being a communist leader, declared that there should be no other belief than the ones described in Juche ideology which contains his writings, speeches and principles used by the government to justify the practices of his policy (Cornell, 2002). The main basis of education of children and adults are the ideal statements and scriptures made by their leader. Students in school are forced to learn KimIlSungism and Juche, the self-reliance philosophy of Kim Il Sung. This is to ensure loyalty to the leadership as well as agreement to the states ideology and authority (Hawk, 2008).

Despite the state-sponsored religious organizations, much more attention was paid to the personality cult of their leader. Personality cult of Kim Il Sung is widely accepted in North Korea. They even spent the nations money for the deification of the leader despite the fact that they are bankrupted because they are indebted in other countries. They also glorify and honor their leader and address him as the sun of mankind (North Korea, 1977).

This cult of personality is very evidently seen on the streets, buildings and houses in North Korea. Kim Il Sung Institute of Revolutionary Ideas is located in every village in which attendance is mandatory. Not being able to attend the Institute means political consequences. The Institute is a place where learning activities about Kim Il Sung and his family are held. Displayed in the walls of the Institute are the history of life and portraits with slogans of Kim Il Sung and his family (Hawk, 2008). The mother who gave birth to the Great Leader Kim Il Sung, was considered as a heroine. The principal topic of North Korean literature is his speeches, memories and policies (North

Korea, 1977). Portraits, statues, monuments and propaganda posters of the leader are seen in the streets, schools and public buildings. Hanging of portraits of Kims family is compulsory in every household. The purpose of this is to remind people that Kim Il Sung is their god and they depend on him. They bowed before these portraits and thank the Great Leader for all the blessings they received (Hawk, 2008). Songs describing Kim Il Sung as the saviour of the country and redeemer of each citizen are sung during public events (Bong, 1973). The birthday of the leader is a major holiday in North Korea. Communist party officials make sure that all people bow and lay flowers under the statue of Kim Il Sung (An, 1995).

The widely spread cult of personality of Kim Il Sung was the reason why the current leader chose his own son as his successor. During 1977, there was a report about the successor of Kim Il Sung which says that the current leader was preparing his 36-year-old eldest son, Kim Chong Il to be his successor. If this happens, then hereditary rule in a Communist country will be first seen in North Korea. The reason why Kim Il Sung wanted his successor to be his son is because he wants to make sure that his name and reputation will not be ruined, the policies he started will be continued and his position will be entrusted to someone he trusts (North Korea, 1977). If his successor will not be his son or any blood related relatives, the personality cult that he started would not last that long.

Due to the powerful ideology of the great, wise, respected and beloved leader Kim Il Sung, he makes sure that nothing will cause a threat on what he had started. He appointed his son as his successor, believing that in doing so, his personality cult will continue under the same blood (North Korea, 1977).

The testimonies of defectors and refugees confirm that human rights and religious freedom are repressed in North Korea. Being engaged in any form of religious activity is regarded as political crime and suspected as a political offender will lead to considerable consequences such as torture, execution and mistreatment inside the political prisoners camp. Due to the repressed human rights, North Koreans attempt to leave the country and cross the borderline. However, security agents from NSA and PSA are arresting North Korean refugees who had been converted to Protestant Christians while in China and spread religious activities in North Korea. This activity is regarded as a threat to Kim Il Sung ideology. It is believed that South Korean and American agencies are behind the continued growing of Protestantism. They assumed that Christianity is the main subject which challenges the KimIlSungism, the one and only ideology (Hawk, 2008).

Religious freedom is one of the human rights and North Korean government fails to fulfil its duty to comply with this right. North Korea may be a secluded nation but it does not mean that they have the right to abuse people. A former government official once said, The only re ason the North Korean system still exist is because of the strict surveillance system. (Hawk, 2008). The condition of North Korean people is of this kind. They opened their eyes to this kind of reality and were struggling to survive in a country which is like a prison without bars.

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