The problem with State Department reports on religious freedom in North Korea



Opinion The problem with State Department reports on religious freedom in North Korea Narrow research obscures fact that more citizens are exposed to religion, feeding into pessimism about the situation Eric Foley June 22, 2023 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON North Koreans at a church in Pyongyang, which is widely regarded as a fake place of worship set up to hold services for foreign observation \| Image: Eric Lafforgue (Sept. 2008) The following article is an opinion piece by Eric Foley, CEO of the Voice of the Martyrs Korea. Views expressed in opinion articles are exclusively the author’s own and do not represent those of NK News. Religious life inside North Korea is not the same today as it was a decade ago, nor is it a practical impossibility. There is a massive popular information movement underway, much of it centered around religion. But like many stories from the reclusive state, reporting on religion in North Korea lends itself to sensationalism, nudging readers closer to shocked, hopeless paralysis rather than informed, © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update & Podcast Updates Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by Trending

Opinion

The problem with State Department reports on religious freedom in North Korea

Narrow research obscures fact that more citizens are exposed to religion, feeding into pessimism about the situation

Eric Foley June 22, 2023

The problem with State Department reports on religious freedom in North Korea

North Koreans at a church in Pyongyang, which is widely regarded as a fake place of worship set up to hold services for foreign observation | Image: Eric Lafforgue (Sept. 2008)

The following article is an opinion piece by Eric Foley, CEO of the Voice of the Martyrs Korea. Views expressed in opinion articles are exclusively the author’s own and do not represent those of NK News.

Religious life inside North Korea is not the same today as it was a decade ago, nor is it a practical impossibility. There is a massive popular information movement underway, much of it centered around religion.

But like many stories from the reclusive state, reporting on religion in North Korea lends itself to sensationalism, nudging readers closer to shocked, hopeless paralysis rather than informed,

The problem with State Department reports on religious freedom in North Korea

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Eric Foley

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