The U.S. has once again placed North Korea on its worst offenders list in terms of repressing religious freedom.

The State Department said in its International Religious Freedom Report for 2010 that the North Korean state continues to interfere with individuals’ ability to choose and to exercise their religious beliefs.

The State Department criticized North Korea for repressing the activities of religious groups that were not authorized by the regime.

North Korea, Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Afghanistan have all been listed in the report as CPCs, or Countries of Particular Concern.

The department began evaluating the degree of religious freedom in countries worldwide in 1998.
This year’s list is the same as last year’s.