A Seoul based group reported that executions surged sharply in North Korea following the COVID 19 border shutdown. The Transitional Justice Working Group documented 136 execution cases between December 2011 and December 2024. These cases involved at least 358 deaths overall. Including unconfirmed death sentences, the total reaches 144 cases with 367 individuals. The report drew from interviews with 880 North Korean defectors. It also used open source reporting from media with inside sources.
The early years from 2012 to 2014 saw heavy use of capital punishment. Subsequently, the border closure period from 2020 to 2021 also experienced a major spike. Together, these two phases accounted for 64 percent of all executions. Moreover, they represented nearly 75 percent of the total people executed. Thus, executions surged sharply during these concentrated windows.
The types of offenses shifted dramatically after the border closure. Before the pandemic, murder was the most common charge leading to execution. Afterward, violations involving foreign culture became the leading offense. These include watching South Korean films, TV shows, and music. Additionally, religion and superstitious practices saw harsh punishment as well. Cases of foreign culture offenses rose from four before the pandemic to 14 afterward. Consequently, the number of people executed for such crimes increased from seven to 38. That represents a staggering 442.9 percent rise. Therefore, executions surged sharply for non violent ideological violations.
Political offenses also increased significantly during the post pandemic period. Violating Kim Jong un’s directives or criticizing the regime rose from four to 13 cases. In contrast, murder charges declined by 44.4 percent over the same time frame. The report used January 30, 2020, when North Korea sealed its borders, as a benchmark. Comparing equal periods, executions and death sentences rose from 30 cases to 65. That marks an increase of 116.7 percent. The number of people executed jumped from 44 to 153, up 247.7 percent.
Geographically, executions spread after the pandemic from eight locations to 19 across the country. Hyesan near the Chinese border recorded the highest number of cases. Pyongyang and Chongjin followed closely behind. Public executions remained the dominant method used by authorities. They often carried out these punishments in areas accessible to large crowds. Firearms accounted for more than 96 percent of all documented executions. This brutal practice serves as a clear tool of intimidation and social control.
The report also documented 12 cases involving 28 people for COVID 19 movement violations. The findings suggest a broader tightening of control under Kim’s rule. Executions surged sharply for political and cultural offenses as the regime intensified ideological enforcement. The Transitional Justice Working Group has mapped execution sites since 2015. Its database continues to track patterns of capital punishment in North Korea. The international community has consistently condemned these practices. Future monitoring will likely reveal continued use of executions for social control.
