A new UN report says that North Korea is using the death penalty more often, even for people who watch or share foreign films and TV dramas. The report is based on interviews with more than 300 people who escaped North Korea in the past 10 years.
The UN found that since 2015, at least six new laws allow the death penalty for crimes such as distributing foreign media. Escapees said that from 2020 onwards, public executions by firing squad became more common. One woman said three of her friends were executed for watching South Korean shows.
The report also says that life in North Korea has become harder since Kim Jong Un stopped talks with the US and focused on nuclear weapons in 2019. Many people do not have enough food, and during the Covid pandemic, hunger killed many. Escapees said that having three meals a day is now a luxury.
The government also made it harder for people to earn money by restricting local markets, and escaping across the border is now almost impossible. Soldiers have been ordered to shoot anyone trying to leave.
The report highlights more forced labour too. Poor people, including orphans, are forced into dangerous construction and mining work. Deaths are common, but the government glorifies them as sacrifices for Kim Jong Un.
Surveillance has increased, with technology helping the state control almost every aspect of life. One escapee said the goal was to “block people’s eyes and ears” and stop any sign of dissatisfaction.
The UN concluded that North Koreans face extreme restrictions unlike anywhere else in the world. If this continues, they will suffer more repression, fear, and hunger.
-Peace News Desk