Christians in North Korea are being sent to labour camps, a leading persecution charity has warned. 

According to Open Doors, there has been a rise in incidents of persecution against Christians across the last year. 

Being part of an underground church could be a death sentence for many living under Kim Jong-un; in one incident detailed by the persecution charity, when interviewed by The Telegraph, believers were rounded up and executed after their church was discovered. 

It’s believed nine such incidents have occurred across the last year, but the number of victims is impossible to ascertain.

North Korea continues to top the Open Doors World Watch List as the most dangerous place to be a Christian. In 2022, it was topped by Afghanistan after years in the top spot. In 2023, it has returned to the list as the most dangerous place in the world to be a Christian. 

According to data gathered for the list, there is approximately 400,000 Christians in the country, making up less than two per cent of the North Korean population. 

The charity says those that try to defect are at greatly at risk of forced repatriation and interrogation, the result of which often results in sexual assault for many women and girls. It’s said Christian women are particularly at risk from the “endemic” attacks as authorities target them in order to forcibly undermine those wishing to wait until marriage.