[Photo] US publicly condemns NK, China and 8 other countries for religious freedom violations

The US has condemned 10 countries for violating the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. The list identifies China, Eritrea, Iran, Myanmar (Burma), North Korea, Pakistan, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan as countries that have engaged or tolerated "systematic, ongoing, (and) egregious violations of religious freedom." US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a statement on Dec. 11 saying, “The United States will not stand by as spectators in the face of such oppression," adding, "Protecting and promoting international religious freedom is a top foreign policy priority of the Trump Administration." (Hwang Joon-bum, Washington correspondent)