Church of the Life-Giving Trinity (Pyongyang)
Church in Pyongyang, North Korea From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 | |
| 38.981836°N 125.745733°E | |
| Location | Jongbaek-dong, Rangrang District, Pyongyang |
| Country | North Korea |
| Denomination | Russian Orthodox Church |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Holy Trinity |
| Dedicated | 13 August 2006 |
| Relics held | Sergius of Rakvere |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Groundbreaking | 24 June 2003 |
| Administration | |
| Division | Patriarchate of Moscow and All Russia |
| Parish | Trinity Parish |
| Clergy | |
| Rector | Feodor Kim (Kim Hoe-il) |
| Deacon(s) | John Ra (Ra Gwan-chol) |
| Church of the Life-Giving Trinity | |
| Chosŏn'gŭl | |
|---|---|
| Hancha | |
| Revised Romanization | Pyeongyang Jeongbaeng Sawon |
| McCune–Reischauer | P'yŏngyang Chŏngbaeng Sawŏn |
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]
During Russian president, Vladimir Putin's official visit to Pyongyang in 2024, he visited the church and performed a brief divine service.[9]
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.[10]
The shrine is consecrated with a relic of Sergius of Rakvere. The church also has a Holy Trinity Icon.[11]
Very few locals attend.[8]
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