Contact us with any questions about finding information. Genuine religious freedom does not exist. In recent years, the regime has allowed the formation of several government-sponsored religious organizations. These serve as interlocutors with foreign church groups and international aid organizations. There are a few Buddhist temples where religious activity is permitted.
Many visitors say that church activity appears staged.
Foreign Christians who have attempted to attend services at these churches without making prior arrangements with the authorities report finding them locked and unattended, even on Easter Sunday. Some foreign visitors who have entered such church buildings noted obvious signs of disuse, such as heavy dust on the pews, Bibles, and hymnals. The authorities have told foreign visitors that one Protestant seminary exists, which accepts six to nine pupils every 3 years. The United States does not have diplomatic relations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. North Korea does not allow representatives of foreign governments, journalists, or other invited visitors the freedom of movement that would enable them to fully assess human rights conditions there.