North Korea executes people for sharing South Korean media, drugs, religious activities, report says

North Korean authorities have reportedly executed people for drugs, religious activities, and sharing South Korean media. The executions are part of Pyongyang’s efforts to further stifle the rights and freedoms of its citizens, according to a report.

A report by the South Korean Unification Ministry, which oversees relations with North Korea, was published on Thursday. The report was based on testimonies from over 500 North Koreans who defected from 2017 to 2022. The findings from the report were in line with United Nations investigations and reports from non-government organizations.

“North Korean citizens’ right to life appears to be greatly threatened,” said the report. “Executions are widely carried out for acts that do not justify the death penalty, including drug crimes, distribution of South Korean videos, and religious and superstitious activities.”

The report also detailed state-led rights abuses in communities, prison camps, and in other areas. The abuses also included public executions, torture, and arbitrary arrests. The ministry said that deaths and torture were a regular occurrence in detention facilities, and some people were executed after getting caught trying to cross the border.

Pyongyang has rejected the criticism of its rights conditions, saying that such criticisms are part of a plot to overthrow its government.

The report by the South Korean ministry also comes as the administration of President Yoon Suk-yeol is looking to highlight North Korea’s failure to improve living conditions while ramping up its nuclear and missile programs. Yoon said the report should better inform the international community of the “gruesome” abuses by Pyongyang, saying North Korea deserved “not a single penny” of economic aid while it continues to pursue its nuclear ambitions.

Almost 34,000 North Koreans have settled in South Korea, but the number of people defecting from North Korea has fallen due to stricter border security. In 2021, North Korean defections were at a record low of 63 before going up to 67 in 2022, according to ministry data.

North Korea has launched a record number of missiles in recent years, with concerns that Pyongyang may be preparing for its first nuclear test. On Tuesday, US national security spokesman John Kirby said that Washington has not seen a willingness by Pyongyang to accept a US offer to hold talks on its nuclear program.