Overview
North Korea is officially an atheist state, and the government does not sanction free religious activity. Instead, the regime promotes an ideological belief system centered on Juche and the Kim family, which functions as a sort of political religion.
Traditional Religion
Historically, Koreans practiced a mix of Buddhism, Confucianism, Shamanism, and Christianity. Before WWII, northern Korea had vibrant religious communities – including one of Asia's largest Christian populations in Pyongyang (once nicknamed "Jerusalem of the East") and many Buddhist temples, plus a native syncretic faith called Cheondoism (Chondo-gyo, "Religion of the Heavenly Way").
However, after the DPRK was established, Kim Il-sung's government suppressed organized religion severely. By the 1960s-1970s, virtually all churches and temples were closed or repurposed, and religious practitioners were persecuted. In the songbun classification, religious families (especially Christians) were placed in hostile classes, as the regime viewed religion as a rival loyalty and a tool of foreign imperialism. Many clergy were executed or sent to camps in the early years.
The constitution of North Korea nominally guarantees freedom of religion, but in practice autonomous religious activities are almost nonexistent.
State-Sponsored Religious Bodies
To improve its image internationally, North Korea does maintain a few state-controlled religious organizations. These include:
- The Korean Buddhist Federation
- The Korean Christian Federation
- The Chondoist Church (Cheondoist Chongu Party is even given token seats in parliament)
These groups run a handful of showpiece sites: for example, Pyongyang has one Russian Orthodox Church (opened in 2006), a couple of Protestant churches (Bongsu Church and Chilgol Church), and a Catholic church (Jangchung Cathedral), as well as some restored Buddhist temples (like Pohyonsa in Mt. Myohyang).
Show Churches
However, these places are largely for display – often visited by foreigners – and the congregations are reportedly managed by the government. Genuine worship is tightly monitored. The "religious" individuals in North Korea often are essentially officials playing a role to show that North Korea has religious freedom. Defectors have said that ordinary North Koreans do not attend those churches freely; the participants are handpicked and trained to perform rituals without any real religious liberty.
Juche Ideology as Political Religion
In place of religion, the North Korean state ideology Juche fills the spiritual void. Juche, usually translated as "self-reliance," was introduced by Kim Il-sung and over time elevated to a guiding philosophy of the state. It preaches political independence (no reliance on outside powers) and economic self-sufficiency, but beyond the practical, it has taken on quasi-religious aspects.
Kim Il-sung is like a godlike figure in Juche thought – referred to as the Eternal President, with eternal life in the hearts of the people. After his death in 1994, a Juche calendar was even introduced, counting year 1 as 1912 (Kim Il-sung's birth year). Today, North Korean publications might list the year as "Juche 112 (2023)".
Juche ideology is often accompanied by Songun (military-first policy) as a guiding policy since the Kim Jong-il era. Together, they emphasize that the Korean people must defend their sovereignty through military strength and loyalty to the Leader. The near-worship of the Kim family – Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, and now Kim Jong-un – has been described by scholars as a political religion or cult of personality that mirrors religious devotion.
Citizens daily bow to portraits, sing hymns (like "Song of General Kim Il-sung"), and even have "Ten Principles for the Establishment of the One-Ideology System" which function like commandments demanding absolute fidelity to the Leader.
Attitude to Religion
North Korean authorities depict traditional religions as outdated or foreign. Buddhism and Confucian ancestral rites are portrayed as feudal superstition, and Christianity is often associated with U.S. imperialism in propaganda (given that many early Korean Christians had ties to American missionaries).
Despite this, elements of Confucianism still quietly influence society (such as emphasis on filial piety and seniority), but they are couched in socialist patriotism terms rather than spiritual ones.
Current Religious Practice
It is believed that a small underground Christian population persists in North Korea, meeting in secret at great risk. Estimates by missionary groups suggest tens of thousands of secret believers, but these figures are unverifiable. Being caught in possession of a Bible or professing religion can result in imprisonment or execution, according to human rights reports.
Buddhism exists mostly in cultural form; some elderly people might pray at temple sites, and folk shamanistic practices (like fortunetelling or shaman rituals) likely continue in private, particularly in the countryside, as folk superstitions are hard to eliminate entirely. However, anyone openly practicing shamanism or fortunetelling can be punished for promoting superstition.
Cheondoism
One exception in the religious sphere is Cheondoism, a native Korean religious movement that venerates heaven and had a nationalist character. North Korea co-opted Cheondoism by allowing a Cheondoist political party (the Chongu Party) which is completely under WPK control. Cheondoism had a decent following in northern Korea historically, so the regime likely subsumed it to prevent resistance. Now it survives as a minor strand integrated into the state – for instance, Cheondoist philosophy of "serving people" can be spun to align with socialism.
In daily life, North Koreans are required to exhibit atheism and faith only in the regime. Children are taught in school that Kim Il-sung created paradise in Korea and that religion was an opiate used by colonialists. The notion of Juche as superior to religion is drilled in. Foreign visitors are sometimes taken to see the show churches or temples but are told that North Koreans are too "blessed" by the Leader to need religion.
Notable Belief Systems
Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism
In 2012, the Workers' Party even formalized "Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism" as the guiding ideology – effectively enshrining the teachings of the two late leaders as a comprehensive doctrine. This shows how the leadership cult has effectively become the state's belief system.
Myths and Legends for Legitimacy
The regime has propagated quasi-mythical stories: e.g., the claim that Kim Jong-il was born on Mt. Paektu and a new star appeared (in reality he was born in the Soviet Union, but official lore changed it). Also, legends of Tangun (the mythical founder of Korea) are embraced to assert the pure Korean bloodline; Kim Il-sung even had Tangun's supposed tomb rediscovered and enhanced near Pyongyang for nationalist legitimacy.
Juche Tower and Icons
In Pyongyang, a 170-meter Juche Tower stands on the riverfront with an eternal flame – essentially a monument to the ideology. There is also the Grand People's Study House where Juche study sessions occur. These all reinforce that Juche thought is the spiritual backbone of the nation.
Summary
In essence, religion in North Korea has been supplanted by state ideology. Those few religious adherents that exist do so under watch or in hiding. North Koreans might privately hold some spiritual beliefs (like folk superstitions or praying silently during hard times), but publicly the society projects devotion to the Kim family as its creed. International watchdogs consistently rank North Korea as one of the worst persecutors of religious freedom.
Ironically, Juche itself, while ostensibly about self-reliance, often coexists with an undercurrent of fatalism among citizens – a sense that one's fate is controlled by their social classification and the will of the Leader. In a way, the Leader is omnipresent like a deity: every home must display his image, every achievement is "by the grace of the General." This deeply ingrained system of belief and fear has successfully filled the void that conventional religion might occupy, making loyalty and ideological purity the measure of virtue in North Korean society.