ICC Note: A North Korean defector exposes the North Korean government and its real control over religion. The defector wrote a book to narrate his life in the communist nation and how the government uses fake churches to hide the truth of their persecution.

5/25/2018 North Korea (Chosunilbo) – A memoir by Thae Yong-ho, the former No. 2 man in the North Korean Embassy in London and now a vocal critic of the regime, has sold 50,000 copies in just 10 days.

The book spills the beans on such aspects of the reclusive regime as Thae was able to witness, richly peppered with anecdote, hearsay and speculation.

One interesting aspect is North Korea’s fractious relationship with religion. Among the tidbits is that North Korea built a fake church and cathedral in Pyongyang in the 1980s in an attempt to show the outside world that religious freedom exists in the North. The pews were filled with diehard communists, but as time progressed, some actually began to convert to Christianity.

…

For interviews with Gina Goh, ICC’s Regional Manager, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: [email protected].