One of the main reasons for the North Korean genocide is the deep hatred and suspected danger of certain religious groups. Specifically, many believe that those of the Christian religion pose a great threat to the national security and safety of North Korea. Before the regime of Kim Il-sung, the north was considered the center of Christianity in East Asia, where between 25-30% of the population identified as part of the Christian religion. Where as of today, the once blooming religious culture has been abolished. Not only are Christians seen as a threat to the country, but they are not seen as "loyal" and "politically desirable" and are sent to the camps and detention centers. If not brutally killed or punished, North Korean Christian refugees are often used as guinea pigs when it comes to chemical or biological weapon experiments (Park).
In addition to religion, other reasons for the North Korean genocide include ethnicity. A large group of refugees that are killed or brutally punished are those who have become pregnant through rape. They are returned by China for "carrying foreign sperm." North Korea then kills the children of the women who were believed to be have a non-North Korean father, often times through abortions and infanticide; in attempts to prevent the birth of half-Chinese children. Multiple reports have showed that abortions due to ethnicity are common in North Korean prisons. The main reason for doing all of this is to stop any chance of mixed babies, especially those of China (Park).