Religious Freedom

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The United States designated North Korea and nine other nations as the countries of particular concern in terms of religious freedom. North Korea has been on this list for 17 years straight. Here's more.

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Ten countries including North Korea were designated as countries of particular concern under the U.S. International Religious Freedom Act. Nine other countries are China, Iran, Myanmar, Eritrea, Pakistan, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. The U.S. State Department evaluates religious freedom around the world in accordance with the International Religious Freedom Act legislated by the U.S. Congress in 1998. This law allows the U.S. to designate the countries that engage in or tolerate systemic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom as "countries of particular concern." North Korea has been on this list for 17 years now, since 2001. Meanwhile, Comoros, Russia, and Uzbekistan were placed on a special watch list. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had expressed his concern that too many people around the world are faced with persecution, arrests, and even death just because they follow their faith.

[Soundbite] U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo(on May 25) : "fundamental freedoms of religion, expression, press, and peaceful assembly are under attack, we find conflict, instability, and terrorism."

Washington also added the day before Choe Ryong-hae and two other key officials in the North Korean regime on the sanctions list for violating human rights. As the denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang are not making any progress, it's significant that the American government has announced measures associated with human rights and religious freedom against North Korea.