Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that people with religious beliefs in North Korea continue to face imprisonment, forced labour, torture, and execution for possessing religious materials or engaging in worship; and what steps they are taking with international partners to secure the release of religious prisoners of conscience 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. The UK frequently raises its concerns about the DPRK's continued human rights violations, including the lack of freedom of religion or belief in the DPRK, both bilaterally through our Embassy, in London and in multilateral fora. On 31 March, the UK, alongside international partners, co-sponsored the annual Human Rights Council Resolution on the situation of human rights in the DPRK, which was adopted by consensus in Geneva. We continue to call on the DPRK to address its human rights violations and to comply with its international human rights obligations.