Open Doors International's World Watch List 2025 designates North Korea as the most dangerous country for Christians globally due to severe persecution and threats. The report highlights the urgent need for global attention and action to protect Christians facing persecution worldwide.
Open Doors International's annual World Watch List identifies North Korea as the country where Christians face the most persecution globally. Other Asian nations like Pakistan, India, Myanmar, and China are also listed among the most hostile environments for Christians. Open Doors is urging Australia and like-minded countries to increase humanitarian assistance to North Korea , given the severe impact of economic sanctions on civilians.
North Korea is deemed the 'most dangerous place to follow Jesus' in the world, where Christians are imprisoned in labor camps and even executed for their beliefs. Timothy Cho, a spokesperson for Open Doors UK and a North Korean defector, shared his experiences with the ABC. He escaped North Korea at age 17 and witnessed firsthand the state's indoctrination of children through the state ideology, aiming to make them believe, regard, speak, and act as if Kim Jong-un is a god.Cho emphasized that North Korea often labels Christianity as an American religion and attempts to use it as a tool to destabilize North Korean society. Consequently, practicing Christianity is considered treasonous and a 'crime of all crimes,' punishable by imprisonment in a gulag or death. Although South Korean television shows are increasingly penetrating North Korea, one particular show carries a message that Kim Jong-un seeks to suppress. Open Doors, a global Christian charity involved in international missionary work, including bible distribution, and human rights advocacy, states that its findings on Christian persecution in North Korea align with those of other Christian and human rights organizations, Western governments, and the United Nations. A 2022 UN Secretary-General's report on North Korea confirmed the ongoing denial of the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, with no tolerance for alternative belief systems. Similarly, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom's 2024 annual report classified religious freedom in North Korea as 'among the worst in the world', particularly highlighting the vulnerability of Protestant Christians to state persecution. North Korea has endured severe food shortages in recent decades, exacerbated by natural disasters and economic sanctions. Open Doors Australia CEO Adam Holland expressed concern over the normalization of suffering caused by these hardships. He called upon the international community to reassess the impact of economic sanctions on North Korean civilians and utilize the UN Security Council's exemption mechanism to provide humanitarian assistance. Holland stated that while concerns exist regarding the potential misuse of food aid for military purposes, monitoring mechanisms are already in place. He has written to Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Minister for International Development Pat Conroy requesting a meeting on this critical issue. The World Watch List 2025 report features the story of Joo Min, a defector who escaped North Korea to China, encountered Christian missionaries, and subsequently returned to North Korea to lead an underground church. Despite the risks, Joo Min remains committed to her faith, acknowledging the potential consequences of being caught: imprisonment in a labor camp and severe punishment.Church groups often assist individuals in fleeing North Korea to China and onward to Southeast Asian nations, where they typically seek refuge at South Korean or international embassies. Open Doors stresses that this World Watch List, which highlights the global persecution of Christians, reflects the reality of countless individuals facing hardship and danger due to their faith. The report underscores the urgent need for increased awareness, advocacy, and support for persecuted Christians worldwide.Most nations on the 2025 World Watch List have predominantly Muslim populations, with North Korea followed by Somalia, Yemen, Libya, and Sudan in the top five. Asian nations, including predominantly Hindu India, predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, and communist one-party states China, Laos, and Vietnam, also feature prominently on the list as hostile environments for Christians.Indonesia and Malaysia, however, have seen a decrease in violence against Christians compared to previous years and were not included in the World Watch List's top 50 this year. Myanmar, experiencing ongoing instability, jumped four places to number 13 on the list. Researchers cite the escalating violence between the military junta and opposition forces, putting Christians, estimated to be between 6 and 8 percent of the population, at significant risk. Holland emphasized that the instability has further marginalized already vulnerable groups, including Christians. Mexico, despite being 91 percent Catholic, ranked 31st on the World Watch List due to the prevalence of organized criminal violence targeting individuals affiliated with the church.
CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION NORTH KOREA OPEN DOORS WORLD WATCH LIST HUMANITARIAN AID RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
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