Christentum - Nordkorea-Information

Here is some information on Christianity in the DPRK which is provided by two members of the Korean Christian Federation (KCF), Hwang Shi Chon and Kim Nam Hyok, director of the international department and deputy director of the organizational -department, respectively, of the Central Committee of the KCF.

Q: How large is the Christian population in the DPRK?

A: There are more than l0,000 Protestants and about 5,000 Catholics in oour country, ranging in age from 30 to 60. In north Korea, Protestantism is called Kiddokkyo and Catholicism Chonjugyo.

Q: How many churches do you have in the DPRK?

A: As far as we Protestants are concerned, we have two churches called Chilgol Church and Bong Su Church in Pyongyang and 500 other tabernacles in other areas.

Q: How do north Korean Christians celebrate their holy days such as Christmas and Easter?

A: Nothing is different from what other Protestants do in their countries. We minister the Holy Communion service and offer a prayer on holy days such as Christmas, Easter, Mother’s Day and Children’s Day.

Q: Do you do missionary work actively in homes?

A: Yes. But we always conduct missionary activities in keeping with the actual situation of our country. Our missionary work is mainly focused on individuals such as by house-to-house visits. Some missionary associations are playing a leading role in our evangelical work including the Missionary Association of Korean Women.

Q: Where do people study theology?

A: People can study theology at Pyongyang Divinity School established in 1972. The school enrolls only ten students at a time in every three years, where they learn the Old Testament, the New Testament, pastoral theology, historical theology, a history of Christianity in Korea and other theological studies. A total of 35 graduates of the school took holy orders.

Q: Is it easy to get a Bible in north Korea?

A: Of course. In our country, freedom of worship is guaranteed under the Constitution. More than 50,000 copies of the Bible have been printed in our country, translated into Korean by members of our federation.

Q: What is the main work of the Korean Christian Federation?

A: The most important task of the federation is to lead Korean Christians to work for the construction and reunification of our country. In order to promote the reunification, we maintain close relations with many organizations including the World Council of Churches and Christian associations in foreign countries to ensure their support for the peaceful reunification of the Korea Peninsula. As the solidarity of the whole nation is the only way to realize a lasting peace in our country, Christians in north and south Korea and overseas should be united first.

Copyright © 1997 The People’s Korea. All rights reserved.

“Why didn’t you, the Reverend, deliver Bibles in Korea?”

The question was put by a reporter to the Reverend Billy Graham, American church leader who was called the boss of conservatives of the world religious circles after the latter visited Pyongyang.

Billy Graham answered: “I feel no necessity to preach in Korea. Books of Bible are all containing the will of God to love human beings. But human love is a national policy in that country. Believing in the people as in Heaven, President Kim Il Sung practices state polices such as free education, free medical care, and responsibility for food, clothing and housing. The Korean people support him as Heaven. Who needs a book of Bible in such a country?”

The reply was not accidental for a pastor who preaches religious doctrine as his mission.

The DPRK, as he saw, was a world of people which embodies the Juche Idea that puts forward as the motive force of history and heavenly beings the people who had been only the object of exploitation and oppression.

This country is called the People’s Republic, its power the people’s power and its army the People’s Army.

Monumental edifices such as Grand People’s Study House, People’s Palace of Culture, People’s Theatre, People’s Hospital and the most honorable titles such as People’s Teacher and People’s Artist are all named after people.

“The people are my God” or believing in people as in Heaven is a favorite theory and motto of President Kim Il Sung. It is also a basic ideal of the Party and state building in the DPRK.

Kim Il Sung in his lifetime said if he had any hobby, it was going among the people and listening to them, and the people are the most admirable teachers.

With this point of view Kim Il Sung in an advanced age of 80 toured factories and rural villages without let-up, devoting his all for the welfare of people.

From the days of building a new Korea after liberation till the last period of his life he toured as long as over 578 000km, equal to 14.5 rounds of the earth.

The period includes Sundays, holidays and his birthdays, over 2.530 days in all.

The figures tell of the life of the President who dedicated all his painstaking efforts for the people with the conception of “The people are my God” as his lifelong motto and became the father of a large family of the nation.

The Korean people reverentially called him “father leader” rather than the President.

It was an irrepressible eruption of their hearty feelings.

They believed in President Kim Il Sung as in Heaven and spoke highly of him as human sun amid the admiration of the world people.

President Kim Il Sung who devoted his whole life for the welfare of the Korean people will be alive in their hearts as their eternal leader.

KPEA, September 2014

Am 11. August 1994, etwa ein Monat nach dem Ableben des Präsidenten Kim Il Sung, fand im Mokran-Haus ein Festbankett zum 80. Geburtstag eines Amerikakoreaners, des Herrn Son Won Thae, statt.

,Was? Geburtstagsfest?! Es gab doch eben die große Trauer der Nation…‘

So staunten die Menschen.

Das Bankett wurde aus folgendem Grund geschaffen:

Vor drei Jahren rief Kim Il Sung ihn, der er im Ausland lebte, zu sich und bedauerte, dass er eine Geburtstagstafel für sie noch nicht einmal decken konnte; er versprach ihm, als ein älterer Bruder für ihn mit aller Aufrichtigkeit ein Fest zum 80. Geburtstag zu geben.

Als sein Geburtstag herannahte, beschaffte Kim Il Sung als Geburtstagsgeschenk eine große Juwelenmalerei „Kiefer und Kranich“.

Aber die Trauernachricht über das Ableben Kim Il Sungs wurde mitgeteilt.

Son Won Thae vergaß seinen Geburtstag völlig und kam sofort nach Pyongyang.

Er wurde von Kim Jong Il empfangen, der die Totenwache hielt.

Kim Jong Il ergriff fest die Hände Son Won Thaes, der tränenüberströmt wehklagte, und sprach zu ihm: „Mein Herr, ich danke Ihnen dafür, dass Sie aus weiter Fremde mit Mühe gekommen sind. Präsident Kim Il Sung wollte zu seinen Lebzeiten Ihren 80. Geburtstag in großem Maßstab feiern lassen. Es tut mir wirklich leid. Auch künftig sollen Sie zu uns wie zu eigenem Haus kommen. Ich werde immer die Bekannten des Präsidenten Kim Il Sung nicht vergessen.“

Einige Tage später rief Kim Jong Il betreffende Funktionäre zu sich und wies sie an, den 80. Geburtstag des Herrn Son Won Thae nach dem Willen Kim Il Sungs aus seinen Lebzeiten richtig feiern zu lassen.

Und am Frühmorgen des Geburtstages ließ er in seinem eigenen Namen ihm einen Blumenkorb, einen großen Obstkorb und Geschenke an ihn und seine Frau zukommen und sandte ihm Glückwunsch. Am Abend wurde ihm die vom Präsidenten Kim Il Sung beschaffte große Juwelenmalerei überreicht und anschließend im Mokran-Haus sogar ein Geburtstagsbankett gegeben.

Am Bankett nahmen verantwortliche Funktionäre der Regierung der Republik, Kinder des Herrn Son und seine Bekannte aus den USA sowie andere Auslandskoreaner teil.

Herr Son äußerte auf dem Bankett mit Tränen in den Augen sein Gefühl: „Der Wille des Präsidenten Kim Il Sung lebt noch und die Wärme seiner Fürsorge ist immer noch zu fühlen, aber wie kann man sagen, dass er hingeschieden ist. Ich glaubte zwar nicht an die Auferstehung des gekreuzigten Jesu Christi, zweifle aber nicht daran, dass der Präsident auf ewig fortlebt. Der Heerführer Kim Jong Il ist der Präsident Kim Il Sung.“