“Ask a North Korean” is an NK News column penned by North Korean defectors, most of whom left the DPRK within the last few years. 

Readers may submit their questions to defectors by emailing [email protected] and including their first name and city of residence.

Today’s question is from Daniel in Irvine, who asks about mosques in North Korea. While there are places of worship in North Korea, many outsiders claim that these are just fronts to show the outside world that it does allow freedom of religious belief as provided for in its own constitution.

Tae-il Shim— who lived