North Korea
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Retentionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 3
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · A commentary on Korean Criminal Law considers the use...
- News items in the archive
- 257
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
North Korea is classified as Retentionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 0 executions in the country, against 3 the year before. The archive holds 257 news items on North Korea, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
- APRIL 8, 2008North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
two brothers-in-law were executed by a firing squad...
two brothers-in-law were executed by a firing squad...
- MARCH 28, 2008North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
a discharged soldier was shot at Bumpo-ri in Samsoo...
a discharged soldier was shot at Bumpo-ri in Samsoo....
- MARCH 5, 2008North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
NORTH KOREA. 15 PEOPLE EXECUTED AS EXAMPLE
North Korea publicly executed 15 people who attempted to
- FEBRUARY 21, 2008North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
NORTH KOREA DENIES EXECUTIONS OF CITIZENS REPATRIATED FROM SOUTH
North Korea blasted rumours that its citizens who were returned by South
- FEBRUARY 17, 2008North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
22 N KOREANS EXECUTED FOR DEFECTION ATTEMPT
twenty-two North Koreans, sent back to the North by South Korean authorities earlier this month after their fishing boats drifted into South Korean waters, were reportedly executed by a firing squad.
- JANUARY 1, 2008North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
In its 2001 report submitted to the UN Human Rights Committee
In its 2001 report submitted to the UN Human Rights Committee
- DECEMBER 26, 2007North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
North Korean authorities sentenced three people involved in handling movies
North Korean authorities sentenced three people involved in handling movies
- DECEMBER 18, 2007North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
North Korea voted against the Resolution...
North Korea voted against the Resolution...
- DECEMBER 13, 2007North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
NORTH KOREAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR PEOPLE TRAFFICKING
a closed tribunal in North Korea sentenced a man...
- DECEMBER 8, 2007North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
5 PEOPLE PUBLICLY EXECUTED IN N KOREA
North Korea publicly executed five traders by firing squad before some 40 residents in Hamhung city on the North's east coast, South Korean aid group Good Friends said. The five were accused of drug trafficking, according to the group
- DECEMBER 5, 2007North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
A co-operative farm chief once honoured by North Korea's founding president
A co-operative farm chief once honoured by North Korea's founding president
- NOVEMBER 27, 2007North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
NORTH KOREA. PUBLIC EXECUTIONS ON THE RISE
North Korea has resumed frequent public executions, after a decline since 2000
- AUGUST 6, 2007North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
NORTH KOREA EXECUTES THREE TRADE OFFICIALS
South Korean News Agency Yonhap reported that North Korean authorities had recently executed three trade officials for embezzling public funds in the southeastern Kangwon province.
- JULY 23, 2007North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
NORTH KOREA. SLOGAN TREE SMUGGLER PUBLICLY EXECUTED
North Korea has publicly executed a trade official for smuggling timber
- MAY 30, 2007North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
4 SENTENCED TO DEATH IN NORTH KOREA FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING
a public trial at a city stadium in Hoiryeong, North Hamkyung province in North Korea...
- FEBRUARY 1, 2007North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
NORTH KOREA. TWO GUARDS TO BE EXECUTED FOR ASSISTING DEFECTORS
an officer and a sergeant from the border guard patrol in North Korea have been sentenced to execution for
- JANUARY 1, 2007North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
In its 2001 report submitted to the UN Human Rights Committee
In its 2001 report submitted to the UN Human Rights Committee
- NOVEMBER 17, 2006North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
UN PANEL SLAMS HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN NORTH KOREA
a panel of the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a resolution expressing "serious concern" at reports of "systemic, widespread and grave violations of human rights" in North Korea
- OCTOBER 30, 2006North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
REPORT ACCUSES NORTH KOREA OF CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY
North Korea has committed "crimes against humanity" against its own people according to an independent report published on October 30 that made a long-shot appeal for the UN Security Council to deal with the issue.
- SEPTEMBER 22, 2006North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
NORTH KOREA. 98% OF DEFECTORS HAVE OBSERVED PUBLIC EXECUTIONS, POLL
results from a survey indicated that a large number of defectors who entered South Korea had witnessed public executions in North Korea more than once.
- SEPTEMBER 20, 2006North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
NORTH KOREA. PUBLIC EXECUTION VIDEO AIRED IN JAPAN
Asahi TV, a Japanese television channel, aired video footage of a public execution of a woman said to have taken place in Hamju, North Korea on July 10.
- JULY 12, 2006North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
ITALY. 'PROMOTE HUMAN RIGHTS' IN NORTH KOREA CONFERENCE
the international conference “Promoting human rights and religious freedom in North Korea: where do we go from here?”, organised by Freedom House together with the Transnational Radical Party, was held in Rome.
- JUNE 27, 2006North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
NORTH KOREA. THREE PUBLICLY EXECUTED
Good Friend, a support organization for North Korea with news from internal sources, revealed that on May 17th and 19th, public executions were administered on the riverbanks of the Susung creek next to the Sunam market in Chongjin.
- JUNE 15, 2006North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
EU. EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PASSES RESOLUTION ON N. KOREAN HUMAN RIGHTS
the European Parliament adopted a resolution urging North Korea to improve its human rights conditions in a plenary session held at the French city of Strasbourg.
- MAY 31, 2006North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
UNITED NATIONS. UN RIGHTS EXPERTS URGE N KOREA TO SUSPEND TREASON EXECUTION
a group of UN rights experts called on North Korea to suspend the scheduled execution of Son Jong Nam for alleged treason, saying he was reportedly tortured and sentenced to death without a trial.
- MAY 8, 2006North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA. RIGHTS PANEL TO LOOK INTO CASE OF NORTH KOREAN ON DEATH ROW
South Korea's state human rights panel said it will investigate the case of a North Korean citizen who is allegedly on death row in the communist country.
- APRIL 28, 2006North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA. NORTH KOREAN DEFECTOR SEEKS TO STOP BROTHER'S EXECUTION
North Korean defector Son Jong Hoon recently received the devastating news from his communist homeland: his brother was sentenced to death on charges of spying for rival South Korea.
- MARCH 18, 2006North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
NORTH KOREA. COUNTRY ISSUES DEATH PENALTY DECREE FOR DRUG TRAFFICKERS
North Korea issued a special decree that called for the maximum penalty of death for its citizens involved in manufacturing and trafficking drugs, a South Korean relief group said.
- JANUARY 1, 2006North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
In its 2001 report submitted to the UN Human Rights Committee
In its 2001 report submitted to the UN Human Rights Committee
- DECEMBER 16, 2005North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
UNITED NATIONS. UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTS NORTH KOREA RESOLUTION
the UN General Assembly officially adopted a resolution criticizing human rights abuses in North Korea, with 88 votes for, 21 against and 60 abstentions.