[1][2] In 2022, the UN secretary-general reported that the country's "right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion ... continues to be denied ..." ;[2] NGOs and North Korean defectors reported that any religious activities unauthorized by the state (e.g., praying, reading the Bible and any contact with a missionary) could lead to punishment, including detention in a prison camp.
[3] Traditionally, religion in North Korea primarily consisted of Buddhism and Confucianism and to a lesser extent Shamanism.
However, some NGOs claimed that the sentence against Son was based on his contacts with Christian groups in China, his proselytizing activities, and his alleged sharing of information with his brother in South Korea.
Because the country effectively bars outside observers from investigating such reports, it was not possible to verify the Government's claims about Son Jong-nam's activities or determine whether he had been executed.
"[12] However, others have testified in interviews that North Korean citizens have full rights to own and use religious texts and worship at church, although there may not be many young believers.