Church of the Life-Giving Trinity (Pyongyang)

The Church of the Life-Giving Trinity (Korean: 평양정백사원) is an Eastern Orthodox church in Jongbaek-dong, Rangrang District in Pyongyang, North Korea.[1] It is the first and only Orthodox church in the country, and one of only a handful of Christian churches there overall.

Church of the Life-Giving Trinity
Exterior of the church
Church of the Life-Giving Trinity
LocationJongbaek-dong, Rangrang District, Pyongyang
CountryNorth Korea
DenominationEastern Orthodox
History
StatusParish church
DedicationHoly Trinity
Dedicated13 August 2006 (2006-08-13)
Relics heldSergius of Rakvere
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Groundbreaking24 June 2003 (2003-06-24)
Administration
ParishTrinity Parish
DivisionPatriarchate of Moscow and All Russia
Clergy
RectorFeodor Kim (Kim Hoe-il)
Deacon(s)John Ra (Ra Gwan-chol)
Church of the Life-Giving Trinity
Chosŏn'gŭl
평양정백사원
Hancha
平壤貞栢寺院

History

Kim Jong-il reportedly wanted to construct an Eastern Orthodox church in North Korea after a trip to the Russian Far East in 2002.[2] Kim had visited the St. Innocent of Irkutsk Church in Khabarovsk on 22 August and admired its architecture and Russian Orthodox rites.[3] A Russian diplomat asked Kim Jong-il whether there were any Orthodox believers in Pyongyang, and Kim replied that believers would be found.[4]

There were no Eastern Orthodox priests in the country, so the Korean Orthodox Committee established in 2002[5] contacted the Russian Orthodox Church.[6] The committee sent four students to the Moscow Ecclesiastical Seminary in April 2003.[3][1] All four were freshly baptized Christians who had formerly worked for the North Korean intelligence service. One of them, Feodor Kim (Kim Hoe-il),[7][3] said it was difficult for them to adopt the Orthodox faith. After the seminary, they were dispatched to Vladivostok to gain practical experience.[7]

The groundbreaking ceremony was held on 24 June 2003.[3] The church was dedicated on 13 August 2006 in the presence of Russian religious and political leaders.[8]:xlix

Worship

The church is presided over by rector Feodor Kim (Kim Hoe-il) and deacon John Ra (Ra Gwan-chol), graduates of the theological seminary in Moscow.[3]

The church has a parish of its own and is under the Patriarchate of Moscow and All Russia.[3] However, the Korean Orthodox Church claims Eastern Orthodox Church in North Korea are part of the Korean Orthodox Church.[9]

The shrine is consecrated with a relic of Sergius of Rakvere. The church also has a Holy Trinity Icon.[10]

Very few locals attend.[8]:323

See also

References
  1. Do Kyung-ok; Kim Soo-Am; Han Dong-ho; Lee Keum-Soon; Hong Min (24 September 2015). White Paper on Human Rights in North Korea 2015. Korea Institute for National Unification(South Korea). p. 221. ISBN 978-89-8479-802-1.
  2. Institute for Unification Education, Ministry of Unification (South Korea) (30 January 2015). Understanding North Korea: Totalitarian dictatorship, Highly centralized economies, Grand Socialist Family. 길잡이미디어. pp. 389–. GGKEY:Q35FXTAE44S.
  3. "Orthodox Church of the Live-Giving Trinity in Pyongyang". Embassy of Russia to the DPRK. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  4. Lankov, Andrei (9 September 2013). "North Korea's irreconcilable relationship with Christianity". NK News.
  5. AsiaNews.it. "Pyongyang: Orthodox community subject to authority of Alexei II". asianews.it. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  6. Burdick, Eddie (26 May 2010). Three Days in the Hermit Kingdom: An American Visits North Korea. Jefferson: McFarland. p. 181. ISBN 978-0-7864-5653-6.
  7. "Kim Jong-Il and Religion: North Korea Builds an Orthodox Church". Spiegel Online. 11 August 2006. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  8. Hoare, James E. (13 July 2012). Historical Dictionary of Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Lanham: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-6151-0.
  9. Presvytera Theodoti (26 August 2017). 암브로시오스 한국의 대주교 : “위험에 처한 것은 제가 아니고, 그리스도의 교회입니다.”. Orthodox Metropolis of Korea 한국정교회 대교구 (in Korean).
  10. "The church of the Life-Giving Trinity consecrated in Pyongyang. The Russian Orthodox Church delegation on a visit to the KPDR". orthodox.cn. 14 August 2006. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
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