Kim Il-Sung and Christianity in North Korea

Extract

Introduction

When an individual is the supreme ruler of a country, the life experiences and views of that individual will have a decisive impact on the course of that country. That happened with Kim Il-Sung (1912–1994) and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (hereinafter DPRK), also known as North Korea. As the founder of North Korea, Kim and his legacy have strongly influenced the full dimensions of North Korean society. Its religious policy, perception of religion, and attitude toward religious practitioners are not exceptions. Interestingly, Kim’s view of Christianity was rather atypical of a communist leader, and there was something different about Kim’s relationship with Christians. His parents were Christians, he served as a Sunday school teacher, he received assistance and support from many Christians throughout his life, and he praised and rewarded “patriotic” or nationalistic Christians. Further, he never publicly condemned Christian faith per se.

The narrative below examines Kim Il-Sung’s view of Christianity and Christians and the impacts of that view on both North Korean politics and North Korean society. To do so, his published speeches and statements and his memoir titled With the Century are examined and analyzed. Other related materials, including the works of his son, Kim Jung-Il, and North Korean scholars, are also consulted. The discussion deals with Kim Il-Sung’s works chronologically in order to trace the evolution of his views on Christianity and his relationship with Christians. Kim’s speeches and writings on religion are analyzed and interpreted not only in the context of his personal life, but also in the historical context regarding the stages of socialization, constitutional amendments, and foreign relations that have occurred in his country, North Korea.