North Korea – CSW condemns reported execution

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) condemns reports of ongoing violations of religious freedom in communist North Korea in light of last month’s public execution of one Christian woman.

Ri Hyon Ok, 33, was publicly executed on June 16 for allegedly distributing the Bible, and also for charges of spying for South Korea and the United States, according to reports from the Investigative Committee on Crimes Against Humanity. In accordance with the ‘guilt by association’ principles employed by the regime, three generations of her close family are believed to have been imprisoned following the execution.

North Korea has one of the worst human rights records in the world and CSW has extensively documented the conditions in this secret state in the report: North Korea: A Case to Answer- A Call to Act. The report concludes that there is a prima facie case for the commission of crimes against humanity and that there are indicators of genocide against religious groups, specifically Christians.CSW calls for the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry to investigate this evidence.

In related news, another Christian woman, Li Mingshun, is now being detained in Inner Mongolia on charges of helping to smuggle 61 North Korean refugees into China. According to CSW Hong Kong, the Chinese-Korean woman could not afford to pay a fine of 100,000 Yuan to authorities in Qingdao this April. Thousands have sought to flee North Korea as a result of the famine and human rights violations, however, despite these compelling reasons, those who help refugees are treated exceptionally harshly by the regime and in many neighbouring countries.

Tina Lambert, CSW’s Advocacy Director said: “There is no religious freedom in North Korea despite the regime’s efforts to create an appearance of limited freedoms in Pyongyang particularly. Individuals associated with this largely ‘illegal’ practice are often deemed ‘enemies of the state’ hence the allegation that Ri Hyon Ok was a spy may well emanate from her association with a faith outside of the culture of idolatry of the Great Leader. It is imperative that the international community respond appropriately to these grave reports and ensure that the regime is held up to international scrutiny and not rewarded for its, often successful, attempts to hide these crimes against humanity”.

Notes to Editors:

1. For Associated Press news reports, please click here: or here. 2. To see the CSW Hong Kong report, please click here3. To download ‘North Korea: A Case to Answer – A Call to Act,’ please click here. 4. Background on refugees: The famine has led to significant numbers of North Koreans fleeing across the Chinese border. Numbers fluctuate and have been estimated to be as high as 300,000, with lower figures of 30-50,000 at present. Although the main reason for this exodus is economic hardship and food shortages, individuals have also decided to leave because of class discrimination and government repression, and to join relatives who have previously fled. These figures are strong factors for those leaving the country for a second time. Leaving the country is a criminal offence under North Korean law, and arrest teams are dispatched to find and forcibly repatriate those who have left.