The Korean Christian Federation is a

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

body in

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...

founded in 1946. The federation is based in the capital city

Pyongyang Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populatio ...

. The current secretary general is O Kyong-u. The federation has come to play an important role in international relations involving North Korea and religious organizations in South Korea and abroad.

History

The federation was founded on 28 November 1946 by Christians who had joined the ranks of the new communist administration. Immediately, it declared that it would support the country's

leader Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets vi ...

Kim Il-sung Kim Il-sung (; , ; born Kim Song-ju, ; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he ruled from the country's establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of ...

and oppose the formation of the

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

n state. Back then, the organization was led by

's mother's cousin

Kang Ryang-uk Kang Ryang-uk (, 7 December 1903 – 9 January 1983), also spelled Kang Lyanguk, was a North Korean Presbyterian minister and Chairman of the Korean Christian Federation since 1946. Kang was the maternal uncle of North Korean leader K ...

. Although Christians in North Korea were mostly anti-communist, about a third of them joined the Korean Christian Federation. Christian leaders who refused to join were imprisoned. In 1972, the organization reopened Pyongyang theological college. It published Bible translations and a hymnal in 1983 and oversaw the construction of two new church buildings (via state funds) in 1988. Following the dissolution of the USSR, the federation has come to play an important role in international relations involving North Korea and religious organizations in South Korea and abroad, particularly in procuring international aid. For example, it has successfully called on the

World Council of Churches The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a worldwide Christian inter-church organization founded in 1948 to work for the cause of ecumenism. Its full members today include the Assyrian Church of the East, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, most juri ...

to organize aid for North Korea. The federation has also been involved in promoting Korean reunification, including a 2014 joint north and south church service organized around themes of peace and reunification.

Organization

The federation is "under close government supervision". The federation itself restricts certain Christian activities. Officially, the institution comprises 10,000 North Korean Christians, and acts as an inter-denominational organization by playing an important liaison role between the government and the Christians. It is one of three official Protestant bodies recognized in the country. The federation oversees North Korea's two Protestant churches: Bongsu and Chilgol Church, in

. It also operates the

Pyongyang Theological Seminary The Pyongyang Theological Seminary (also known the Pyongyang Theological Academy, but commonly known simply as the Pyongyang Seminary) is a Protestant theological seminary in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. It is run by the government-con ...

. The current secretary general of the organization's central committee is O Kyong-u.

References

External links

Korean Christian Federation documents
at the

Korean Christian Federation news
at North Korean Economy Watch
Korean Christian Federation
at YMCA Korea
Korean Christian Federation
at Korea Computer Mission
북 강명철목사가 조그련 수장으로 선출
at '' Minjok Tongshin'' Protestantism in North Korea Religious organizations based in North Korea 1946 establishments in North Korea Christian organizations established in 1946 {{Christianity-stub

History

Organization

See also

References

External links