Russians of North Korea (PGID: PG007587)

The Russians of North Korea

The Russians of North Korea, numbering approximately 5,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an East Slavic people whose culture has developed across the vast landscapes of Eastern Europe and northern Asia, shaped by Orthodox Christianity, agricultural and frontier traditions, and strong state institutions. They mostly adhere to Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Russian is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash: Russian

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Eurasian Peoples
Country: North Korea
People Cluster: Slav, Eastern
Primary Language(s): Russian (rus)
Primary Religion(s): Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Population: 5,500
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG007587
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Pray for the Russians of North Korea

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

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Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

85%

Eastern Orthodox Christia… Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Russian
Language Family: Indo-European

100%

Russian Speakers

Media Resources in Russian:

Films:

Title	Link
JESUS	View Film
JESUS	View Film
Magdalena	View Film
Magdalena	View Film
The Savior	View Film
The Savior	View Film

6 films

Provided by the Jesus Film Project

View all resources

Bible Resources in Russian:

Bible Name (Translation)	Video	Audio	Text
1876 Synodal Bible, Light of the East Mission Anniversary Bible	✓	✓	✓
2014 Bible League International			✓
Holy Bible, New Russian Translation	✓
Holy Synod Version		✓

4 entries

Provided by Faith Comes by Hearing

Or check out the Russian bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

View all resources

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Russians are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Next steps for the Russians:

Continue prayer and fasting for this group

Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group

Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Pray specifically for the Russians of North Korea

Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.
Jerremiah 32:17

Pray that the God who made the heavens and the earth by the power of His outstretched arm, the One who is able to save those who are lost, will show His great love and mercy to those who are walking in darkness.

Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near.
Isaiah 55:6

Pray that the lost will seek the Lord while He may be found and call upon Him while He is near, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5:18

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will serve as God's ambassadors, sharing the message of reconciliation with others.

"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."
John 7:38

Ask God to raise up believers and sustain them as they cross cultures to share hope with those who need it. Pray that many might come to know Christ and that streams of living water will flow from their hearts so they will never thirst again.

Russian Across Countries (ROP3 - 108452) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index

All

Engaged yet Unreached UUPG No Longer Unreached

CountryReligion

40 people groups

People Group ID	Name	Country	Population	Strategic Progress Index	Language	Religion ▼
PG048817	Russians	Azerbaijan	108,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Russian	Unaffiliated
PG015312	Russians	Madagascar	35,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Russian	Unaffiliated
PG016491	Russians	Venezuela	4,500	Unengaged and Unreached	Russian	Unaffiliated
PG039316	Russians	Russian Federation	108,240,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Russian	Unaffiliated
PG017587	Russians	Peru	1,400	Unengaged and Unreached	Russian	Unaffiliated
PG039315	Russians	Kazakhstan	4,545,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG008063	Russians	Australia	28,500	No Longer Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG015414	Russians	Mozambique	3,700	Engaged yet Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG016303	Russians	Cuba	22,500	Engaged yet Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG017363	Russians	Argentina	37,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG017453	Russians	Chile	2,000	Unengaged and Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG033639	Russians	Cyprus	96,500	Unengaged and Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG007587	Russians	North Korea	5,500	Engaged yet Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG042904	Russians	Belarus	776,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG042915	Russians	Ukraine	7,020,000	No Longer Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG043463	Russians	Canada	200,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG046469	Russians	United States	961,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG046696	Russians	Poland	14,000	Unengaged and Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG046784	Russians	Czech Republic	42,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG049403	Russians	Germany	260,000	No Longer Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG000781	Russians	Estonia	330,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG000069	Russians	Belgium	64,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG000119	Russians	Finland	80,500	Engaged yet Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG000193	Russians	France	75,000	Engaged yet Unreached	French	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG000350	Russians	Italy	39,500	Engaged yet Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG000429	Russians	Netherlands	5,300	Engaged yet Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG000542	Russians	Svalbard	1,200	Unengaged and Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG000567	Russians	Sweden	25,500	Unengaged and Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG000675	Russians	United Kingdom	64,000	No Longer Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG000745	Russians	Bulgaria	14,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG000038	Russians	Austria	32,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG000800	Russians	Georgia	27,500	Engaged yet Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG000840	Russians	Kyrgyzstan	246,000	No Longer Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG000849	Russians	Latvia	506,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG000853	Russians	Lithuania	155,000	No Longer Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG000867	Russians	Moldova	132,000	No Longer Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG000983	Russians	Tajikistan	42,500	Engaged yet Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG000984	Russians	Turkmenistan	111,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG000998	Russians	Uzbekistan	551,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
PG007374	Russians	China	19,000	Unengaged and Unreached	Russian	Eastern Orthodox Christianity

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

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