North Korea executed 153 people between January 2020 and mid-December 2024, representing a nearly 250% increase compared to the previous five-year period, according to a detailed report assessing recent trends in capital punishment [1].
Among these, 38 were condemned to death for offenses connected to foreign culture, religion, and superstition, including owning a Bible. This marks a sharp rise from just seven such executions in the equivalent period before 2020 [1]. The country’s crackdown has notably shifted focus since January 2020, when North Korea closed its borders reportedly to prevent COVID-19 spread. Before that date, murder was the most common capital offense; after, authorities increasingly targeted cases involving South Korean movies, dramas, music, religious materials, and superstition [1].
Human rights experts say the regime relies more on lethal force to suppress discontent and enforce loyalty amid exposure to external media. Greg Scarlatoiu, Executive Director of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, said, "It is already too late for the North Korean regime to put this genie back into the bottle. In North Korea, the crackdown always gets harsher. The number of true believers in the regime is dwindling dramatically. Rather than ideological indoctrination, violence is becoming the regime's preferred option" [1].
Despite official repression, large amounts of foreign media continue to circulate inside North Korea. Scarlatoiu added that "the young sons and daughters of North Korean elites dwelling in urban areas are addicted to smuggled South Korean pop culture and American action movies. They will risk their lives to access such information" [1].
Authorities’ intensified use of execution for cultural and religious offenses reflects a broad effort to clamp down on influences the regime considers threatening. The trend began soon after the government sealed its borders in early 2020, marking a turning point in its internal security measures [1].
The data covers executions up to mid-December 2024, the most recent period for which comprehensive figures are available [1].