North Korea Sharply Increased Executions During Pandemic Lockdown

North Korea sharply raised the number of executions it conducted after shutting its borders during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the largest share linked to ​violations of bans on foreign culture and religion, a Seoul-based civic group ‌said on Monday. 

A report by the Transitional Justice Working Group documented 60 execution cases in which 148 people were put to death between 2020 and 2024, up from 41 executions over the previous five



years.

The ​findings were based on interviews with 880 North Korean defectors living in South ​Korea and the group used satellite images to map execution sites. It ⁠cautioned, however, that the report should not be considered as definitive. 

The report said ​breaches of restrictions on foreign culture and religion, including watching South Korean dramas and movies, ​accounted for the largest portion of the executions.