Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus, has sent greetings to the clergy and parishioners on the 20th anniversary of the great consecration of the Church of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity in Pyongyang. The church is described as the only functioning Orthodox place of worship in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The temple was consecrated on August 13, 2006, in the capital’s Chongbək district. In his message, the patriarch highlighted the contributions made to the church’s creation by DPRK leader Kim Jong Il, as well as by Russian diplomats Andrey Karlov and Aleksandr Matzegora. He also expressed thanks to the DPRK Orthodox committee and to everyone who supports the parish.

According to the church’s history, the project began after Kim Jong Il’s trip to Russia’s Far East in August 2002. While visiting an Orthodox church in Khabarovsk, the DPRK leader became interested in Orthodox tradition and instructed that a church be built in Pyongyang.

The foundation stone was laid in June 2003. The church was constructed over roughly two years, largely by Korean builders, with financial support from the DPRK. Assistance was also provided by Primorsky Krai and Russian entrepreneurs. The Russian Orthodox Church is reported to have transferred icons, bells, and other liturgical items for the church.

In August 2006, the Church of the Holy Trinity was solemnly consecrated by Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad—who would later become patriarch. During the same period, the first Korean clergy members were ordained.

Today, services at the church are conducted by the Korean priest Father Vladimir (Chan Mён Iль), a graduate of the Khabarovsk Theological Seminary. A church choir operates at the parish, and since 2008 it has been made up of graduates of the Pyongyang Conservatory.

Beyond its role as a place of worship for Orthodox Christians in the DPRK, the church has also become a point of contact between Russia and Korea. It is regularly visited by Russian delegations. During a state visit to the DPRK in June 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the church and presented an icon of the Holy Trinity as a gift.

With a building area of more than 400 square meters, the church was built in the traditions of Russian ecclesiastical architecture of the 17th to 18th centuries. In 2015, its vaults were adorned with frescoes created by Russian and Korean artists. In 2019, the Church of the Holy Trinity became part of the newly established Korean Diocese.