North Korea’s FAKE churches exposed: Actors pretend to pray to cover up Christian abuse

Express.co.uk can today show inside the sham churches with these pictures which reveal the lengths North Korea will go to to hide its shocking treatment of Christians.

The photos may look innocent on first inspection, but when viewers learn the realities of believing in God in the hermit kingdom, they soon become chilling.

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North Korea is the worst country in the world to be a Christian, with Kim Jong-un’s kingdom ranking first in a persecution watchlist published earlier this month. 

Christians are forced to practice in secret or face imprisonment, beatings or even death if they are caught by Kim’s secret police. 

Instead North Koreans are forced to put their faith in only one man – their leader Kim Jong-un – with religion becoming an inconvenient lesson in values and morals.

It is thought 300,000 North Koreans identify as Christians in defiance of Kim’s regime, with believers forced to worship in secret, sometimes even meeting on park benches to whisper prayers while looking in to the distance.

The country is home to several bizarre ‘show churches’ which are often packed with worshippers, especially when foreign visitors are in town, as Kim attempts to claim North Koreans do enjoy religious freedom.

READ MORE: How do people live in North Korea?

Open Doors, a Christian persecution watchdog, told Express.co.uk the churches are nothing more than “show pieces”. 

A spokeswoman said: “In Pyongyang there are four church buildings – a Catholic church, two protestant churches and a Russian Orthodox church, which was opened in 2006. 

“Defectors testify that these churches serve as show pieces for foreign visitors in an attempt to prove that there is religious freedom in North Korea.”

In the images provided by Open Doors, packed pews, complete with Korean bibles and hymn sheets, choirs singing Christian songs and stained glass windows can be seen.

Some of the images even show television screens relaying the sermons to those sitting at the back of the series, in the style of US-style ‘super churches’. 

Other photos, perhaps taken at a hastily arranged service, shows an emptier church with worshippers spread in groups of one of two in the mostly-empty pews.

One defector told Open Doors only Kim can be treated as a god. 

Joo-Eun said: “There is no religious freedom in North Korea. People are simply killed if they believe in Jesus. Kim Jong-un is god and there cannot be any god besides him. 

“Yes, there are church services in North Korea but only when foreigners are present. The state calls up some locals to be present.”

Earlier this year North Korea ranked worst in Open Doors’ annual persecution watch list. 

Open Doors said: “Persecution is led by the state which sees Christians as hostile elements that have to be eradicated.

“Due to constant indoctrination, neighbours and family members, including children, are highly watchful and report anything suspicious to the authorities. 

“If Christians are discovered, they are deported to labour camps as political criminals or killed on the spot; their families share their fate. Meeting for worship is almost impossible, so is done in utmost secrecy. 

“The churches shown to visitors in Pyongyang serve mere propaganda purposes.”