North Korea: Religious Freedom

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office written question – answered at on 5 March 2026.

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Photo of Iain Duncan Smith Iain Duncan Smith Conservative, Chingford and Woodford Green

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2025 to Question 24853 on North Korea: Christianity, what assessment she has made of the steps taken by Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in response to her Department's engagement on human rights issues, including on freedom of religion and belief.

Photo of Seema Malhotra Seema Malhotra Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities), Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK remains deeply concerned by the ongoing reports of severe persecution in North Korea for those adopting or practicing religion. We welcomed North Korea's participation in the UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review's fourth cycle (in November 2024) and continue to urge North Korea to take concrete actions to fulfil its commitment to implement the accepted recommendations. We will continue to raise human rights issues with North Korean officials bilaterally and in multilateral fora, including to allow independent civil society organisations immediate and unhindered access to the country.

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