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A recent report from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), "Thank You Father Kim Il Sung," documents extreme oppression of religious freedom in North Korea and elimination of all forms of independent worship. The officially proclaimed personality cult of the Kim regime has been forced upon the public as a state religion. For most North Koreans, the only personal contact they will  have with religion will be the denigration of Western religion in propaganda films at mandatory weekly sessions at Kim Il Sung Study Halls, or even the arrest of a friend or relative accused of illegal religious activity.

                What impact do conditions of religious freedom have on policies involving humanitarian relief and North Korean refugee issues? What can the United States and its partners do to improve religious freedom in North Korea? How do foreign aid and external pressure affect Pyongyang's human rights behavior? Have there been any changes in North Korea's record on religious freedom since the beginning of the "sunshine diplomacy" era? On March 30, AEI and USCIRF will co-host a panel discussion on these and other questions about the future of religious freedom in North Korea.