In a briefing to South Korea’s National Assembly this week, National Intelligence Service Director Lee Jong-seok discussed neighboring North Korea’s political succession plan with lawmakers. According to Lee, Kim Jong Un’s daughter — believed to be about 13 years old — is likely to take the reins, rather than her aunt, who had previously been considered a potential successor.

A dynastic line of leaders from the Kim family has ruled North Korea since its establishment in 1948 under Kim Il-sung.

Whoever succeeds Kim Jong Un will inherit one of the world’s most repressive regimes. Known for its ruthlessness toward dissenters, the North Korean government exerts near-total control over every aspect of civilian life and allows no room for the independent practice of religion.

Anyone caught with a Bible, listening to Christian broadcasts from South Korea, or even engaging in private prayer is subject to severe punishment. Those detained — and often their families and associates as well — are imprisoned indefinitely in one of North Korea’s many political prison camps, where they face some of the harshest conditions in the world.

Severe torture is widespread in North Korean prisons, with survivors reporting especially brutal treatment of religious prisoners. Accounts include mothers forced to watch the killing of their children, and inmates being sent abroad — particularly to Russia — as forced laborers in state-run projects, generating much-needed revenue for the regime.

Religious freedom advocates around the world have long drawn attention to the atrocities taking place in North Korea. Under Kim Jong Un’s leadership, the regime aggressively punishes anyone perceived as opposing the state. Actions as simple as praying, discussing the Bible, or sharing one’s faith can result in beatings, years of imprisonment, or torture.

A U.N. report highlights several areas of concern, including extreme conditions in the prison system and the torture of prisoners of conscience. The North Korean government, the report states, “is engaged in a systematic and widespread attack against people considered a threat to the country’s political system and leadership, including people who practice religion.” As part of this campaign, individuals are “systematically imprisoned without due process and subjected to harsh treatment for exercising basic human rights.”

Despite this persecution, former North Korean prisoners report that some Christians continue to share the gospel with fellow inmates — hosting silent prayer gatherings and distributing contraband Scripture at great personal risk.

The international community, including South Korea, must continue to press for the advancement of human rights in North Korea. The country’s many innocent civilians deserve no less.

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