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A new report by the Seoul-based media outlet Daily NK reminds us why for more than 20 years, North Korea has remained at or near the top of Open Doors' World Watch List, a ranking of the 50 most difficult places to follow Jesus. And why praying for our persecuted family is so critical.
According to the report, the North Korean regime is publicly claiming a near-total victory in its decades-long campaign against underground Christian activity. Based on information provided by a source inside the country, the report notes that following intensified state operations, "organized underground services and secret prayer groups have almost disappeared."
"I know the situation looks darker than ever, but the night is always darkest before the dawn."
Kim Jong-Jik*, North Korean believer
The report singles out North Korea's Youth Education Guarantee Act—enacted in 2021—as a turning point. The law formally forbids young people from engaging in any kind of religious activity; officials have used it to justify expanded surveillance. Christian activity is increasingly categorized as "anti-state crime," placing believers in the same category as political dissidents.
Authorities are focusing their efforts especially in the northern border regions, where outside information may enter the country, and among returnees who lived or worked abroad. These individuals are considered more likely to have encountered Christianity.
Daily NK's source explained: "The authorities doubly or triply watch people who have studied abroad or workers who were sent abroad—people who have experience living overseas. If they are caught engaging in religious activity after they return home, they are immediately arrested."
As Open Doors has reported for decades, the consequences for any Christian activity—even owning a Bible—are severe. Those caught with Christian materials, attending secret gatherings, or even suspected of faith are reportedly sent directly to political prison camps. Some are transferred to "total control zones," where imprisonment is effectively permanent. Family members may also be detained under North Korea's principle of guilt by association.
"Within the Ministry of State Security, the priority is on ferreting people out, rather than on ideological reeducation," Daily NK's source noted. "The commonly held view within the ministry is that violators should go straight to the political prison camp—no reeducation for them."
Daily NK's report also highlights how rare exposure to Christianity has become. In a survey of thousands of defectors, only a small percentage reported ever meeting a Christian inside North Korea; only a few had ever seen a Bible or a cross. The regime also avoids publicizing religious arrests, fearing that even acknowledging the existence of Christianity could encourage curiosity.
Taken together, these realities suggest that what was once a fragile but real underground church network has been pushed to the brink. According to Daily NK's source, what remains is largely solitary faith—private prayer, discreet gestures of belief and silent endurance.
The new report aligns with Open Doors' research and reports over the last 20 years that North Korea's persecution level is "extreme." Our research, interviews with North Korean refugees and our work with North Korean believers in surrounding countries, confirm that every Christian—whether new believer or part of a long-hidden family tradition—lives under constant risk.
Even a silent prayer or a mention of Jesus can lead to arrest. Entire families may be punished for one person's faith.
Simon Lee*, Open Doors' coordinator for ministry among North Koreans, explains North Korea's hyperfocus on any semblance of Christianity: "The regime views Christianity not as a private religious choice but as a direct threat to loyalty toward the Kim family," he says. "In this worldview, worshiping any authority higher than the state is considered rebellion."
Lee says this ideological framework shows why pressure on Christians is not occasional but rather systematic, comprehensive and intended to eliminate Christianity entirely.
"That has always been the intention since Kim Il-Sung (grandfather of current leader Kim Jong-Un) became North Korea's leader [in 1948]," he explains.
For Christians outside North Korea, the report is a sobering reminder of a church that survives almost entirely out of sight against a backdrop of oppression. While the regime publicly claims success, North Korean refugees remind us that faith does not disappear so easily. Even when driven deep into silence, believers continue to hold onto hope in ways that cannot always be measured or seen.
According to Open Doors' sources, an estimated 400,000 Christians still practice their faith in secret. Between 50,000 and 70,000 of them are believed to be imprisoned in labor camps, where conditions are harsh and survival is uncertain.
North Korean refugee Kim Jong-Jik* came to faith after he escaped to China. After his conversion, he felt compelled to return to North Korea to share the gospel. Back in his homeland, he stayed with a family he had known before his escape.
"They were descendants of a South Korean soldier captured during the Korean War. Families like theirs belong to what the regime calls the 'hostile' class and are forced to live in remote areas, usually near the Chinese border.
"After I had been with them for two days, I heard the 67-year-old grandmother humming a tune," he continues. "I recognized it immediately: 'Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.' I asked her how she knew that song."
At first, the woman could not remember. But slowly the memory returned: When she was a small child—before the Korean War—her mother had once taken her to church. Hearing the hymn again stirred something deep within her. Kim told the family about his own faith, and they rediscovered the power of the gospel.
"They began to believe in Jesus again," he said.
Kim later returned to China; he cannot re-enter North Korea. Yet he remains convinced that God is still at work inside the country. He encourages the worldwide Church to press on in their prayers for his home country and the underground church there.
"I believe the time for change is drawing near," he says resolutely. "I know the situation looks darker than ever, but the night is always darkest before the dawn. Don't be discouraged when you pray. God uses your prayers. There is still a large underground church.
"Because you pray, people are being healed, they experience God's power, and they come to faith. Through your faithful prayers and support, the doors of North Korea will one day open, and many more will come to know God. Your prayers are helping the underground church in North Korea to grow."
His statements echo those of other North Koreans. A recently received secret message from a Christian living inside the country reveals an underground church that remains focused on sharing the gospel:
"Although the difficulties and trials before us are great, there are clear and positive changes and achievements," he said. "The believers I know accept the Word of God as an absolute truth. We carry out the Great Commission. Our hearts are truly into it; it's the most sacred task Jesus has given us."
*Names changed for security reasons.
