Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of treatment of Buddhists and other religious minorities in North Korea; what assessment he has made of the level of restrictions on Buddhist worship and religious practice in that country; and what steps he is taking to help uphold freedom of religion and belief in North Korea.

The UK remains deeply concerned by reports of ongoing, widespread and systematic human rights violations in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), including severe restrictions on freedom of religion or belief. Reports indicate that individuals practicing religion can face surveillance, imprisonment or other serious penalties.

Promoting and protecting freedom of religion or belief for all is a UK priority. We regularly raise concerns about the lack of freedom of religion or belief with DPRK officials and in multilateral fora, including the UN Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly. We continue to call on the DPRK to address its appalling human rights record and to comply with its international human rights obligations.