Exhibition Showcases Hand-Copied Bibles and North Korean Educational Materials

The Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) has opened a new exhibition titled "Life Beyond the Study," featuring over 500 items donated by the Rev. Lim Chang-ho. The collection, gathered over two decades, includes North Korean textbooks, cookbooks, and music books, alongside rare religious materials such as a hand-copied New Testament and a hymnal. These artifacts are displayed alongside testimonies from North Korean escapees to illustrate the contrast between state-mandated ideology and the personal lives of citizens.

The exhibition highlights the severe restrictions on religious expression in North Korea. According to the NKDB's "2025 White Paper on Religious Freedom in North Korea," only 3.9% of the 15,303 escapees surveyed reported ever seeing a Bible in their home country. By presenting these hand-copied scriptures, organizers aim to provide visitors with a tangible connection to the faith of believers living under persecution. The display is intended to serve as a precursor to a future North Korean Human Rights Museum, offering insight into both the official state curriculum and the clandestine realities of religious life.