North Korea has topped Open Doors’ World Watch List 2013. The World Watch List ranks countries from around the world on how heavily they persecute Christians. North Korea placed in the “Extreme Persecution” band. It is the eleventh year in a row that North Korea has been ranked as the most serious persecutor of Christians amongst the world’s nations.
Open Doors estimate the number of Christians in North Korea that participate in the underground church movement as being about 400,000. The movement is underground because open worship in North Korea carries severe risk. The punishments doled out to believers include execution and being locked up in a political prison camp.
