U.S. redesignates N. Korea as violator of religious freedom

The United States has,... once again,... lumped North Korea in with a handful of other countries that Washington says violate the religious freedom of their citizens.Lee Seung-jae reports. The United States has redesignated North Korea as one of the world's violators of religious freedom,... making it the 18th consecutive year the communist regime has been listed.U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday that North Korea is among "10 Countries of Particular Concern" for engaging in or tolerating "systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom."Pompeo said there are too many places across the globe,... where people are prosecuted for their religious beliefs,... adding the U.S. "will not stand by as spectators in the face of such oppression."The designations were made on November 28th,... and announced on Tuesday,... in accordance with the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.Countries designated for religious violations are subject to further action by the U.S., including economic sanctions.China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are among the other nine countries listed this year.Comoros, a southeastern African island nation as well as Russia and Uzbekistan were placed on a "Special Watch List",... while the U.S. designated a number of terrorist groups, such as Boko Haram and ISIS, as "Entities of Particular Concern".The latest action puts more pressure on the Kim Jong-un regime,... with the U.S. sanctioning three North Korean officials on Monday over their alleged human rights abuses.Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.