North Korea conducts executions for drug offenses, sharing South Korean media content, and engaging in religious activities, further suppressing the human rights and freedoms of its citizens, according to a report released by South Korea on Thursday.
The Unification Ministry of South Korea, which oversees inter-Korean relations, based the 450-page report on testimonies gathered from 2017 to 2022, provided by over 500 North Korean defectors. The ministry stated in the report, "North Korean citizens' right to life appears to be greatly threatened."
"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."
Although Reuters was unable to independently confirm the findings of the South Korean government, they are consistent with UN investigations and reports from non-governmental organizations.
North Korea has dismissed any criticism of its human rights situation as part of a conspiracy to overthrow its leadership.
The report details widespread state-sanctioned human rights abuses in communities, prison camps, and other locations, including public executions, torture, and arbitrary detentions.
According to the ministry, deaths and torture are commonplace in detention centers, with some individuals being summarily executed after being apprehended attempting to cross the border.
The report comes as South Korea aims to expose its isolated neighbor's failure to improve living conditions while aggressively expanding its nuclear and missile capabilities.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stated that the report should better inform the international community of North Korea's "gruesome" abuses, arguing that North Korea deserves "not a single penny" of economic aid while it pursues its nuclear ambitions.
President Yoon's stance represents a significant departure from that of his liberal predecessor, Moon Jae-in, who was criticized for his less vocal position on North Korea's human rights abuses as he sought to strengthen ties and establish a rapport with its leader, Kim Jong Un.
By law, the Unification Ministry must conduct an annual assessment of North Korea's human rights situation.
Approximately 34,000 North Koreans have resettled in South Korea, but the number of defectors has significantly decreased due to tighter border security.
North Korean arrivals reached an all-time low of just 63 in 2021, amid COVID-19 shutdowns, before rising slightly to 67 in 2022, according to ministry data.
