Originally published at National Catholic Register
The total Catholic population of the country has been estimated to range from 800 to 3,000 faithful.
South Korean officials warned Monday of rapidly growing military threats from North Korea, with tensions escalating.
Days before, a South Korean prelate, in an interview with Fides News Agency, said Catholics continue to pray for peace and hope but that “hope is fading” for reunification between the two East Asian countries.
The South Korean government said Monday that North Korea is preparing to destroy some inter-Korean roads following allegations that Seoul flew drones over northern territories, the Associated Press reported.
North Korean troops have also reportedly been sent to the border between the two countries, with the communist government saying its soldiers are prepared to strike against South Korean targets.
Ahead of the escalating conflict, Seoul Archbishop Peter Soon-taick Chung told Fides that the “desire for reunification is diminishing” among South Koreans.
The archbishop also serves as the apostolic administrator of Pyongyang, North Korea; a bishop has not operated directly out of Pyongyang for decades. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said in its 2024 annual report that religious freedom is “nonexistent” in North Korea, with “state-controlled religious sites and organizations”
