North Korea Executed 358 People, Surge During Pandemic

0:00On April 2, a new report from a sole-based human rights group says North Korea executed 358 people between 2011 and 2024. That's based on testimonies from over 250 defectors. Executions spiked hard during the COVID pandemic, with at least 153 killed or sentenced from 2020 to the end of 2020. 24 way up from just 44 in the previous five years. Things peaked early under Kim Jong-un, with over 80 executions in 2013 alone. Numbers drop between 2015 and 2019, thanks to pressure from a big UN investigation into abuses. But once borders slammed shut in 2020, it surged again. At least 54 that year, and 45 the next compared to an average of five. Annually before, the regime's cracking down on stuff like religion, superstitions, and especially South Korean culture. K dramas, and K-pop top the list for offenses, seen as a straight threat to their control. 29 cases tied to that.

1:03Other big ones include criticizing leaders, murder, drugs, or helping folks escape. Even teens got hit hard. Like a video last year showing two, sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for sharing shows. Most of these over 70% were public shootings at 46 sites across the country. The transitional justice working group started in 2014 by activists from South Korea, North Korea, the US, UK, and Canada mapped it all out. As Kim eyes a fourth-generation handover, experts warned executions could ramp up even more to lock down ideology and power. This report shines a light on a system that shows no signs of easing up. That's the story for today. Global News Today Driven by AI