Ten North Korean defectors residing in South Korea were interviewed about the religious experiences and beliefs which they had while residing in North Korea. Despite initially expressing uncertainty and hesitation as to whether their specific experiences and beliefs qualified as religious experiences and beliefs, the interviewees ultimately reported religious experiences and beliefs which were organizable into 21 religious concept categories and 13 religious practice categories through a grounded theory method. The grounded theory subsequently formed through comparative analysis suggests that North Korean religious experiences and beliefs are most fully identifiable utilizing broad phenomenological categories, and that the employment of categories more suited to organized religion?e. g., personal affiliation and doctrinal affinities?may have resulted in the under-reporting or under-recognition of the religious experiences and beliefs of North Koreans. Phenomenologically- based categories are commended for further research into the religious experiences and beliefs held by North Koreans while residing in North Korea.