The United States has designated North Korea as one of a number of “countries of particular concern” for religious freedom violations for the 22nd consecutive year.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the designation of 12 nations on Thursday, saying that the promotion of religious freedom is one of the key diplomatic policies of the U.S.

The other countries on the blacklist are China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

Azerbaijan, Algeria, the Central African Republic, Comoros and Vietnam were put on a special watchlist.

Since the enactment of the International Religious Freedom Act in 1998, the U.S. has evaluated religious freedom in countries around the world every year and designated those that engaged in particularly severe violations as “countries of particular concern.”

Others that engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom during the previous year but did not meet all the criteria full designation are put on a “special watch list.”

[Photo : YONHAP News]