four people were publicly executed for petty crimes, reported a North Korean

four people were publicly executed for petty crimes, reported a North Korean refugee who fled to the South. The regime forced residents in Seungho-district of Pyongyang to watch the executions. According to the Daily North Korean (a website dedicated to Kim Jong-il’s regime), the four people were convicted for theft. “One of them was for stealing oil from a transformer,” whilst “another stole 50 kilograms of corn.” “It is important to note how minor the offences were. Until now, only deserters and traitors were executed in public,” the source said. Fifty kilos of corn is sold for US$ 20 on the black market. However, when the decision is made, “nothing can stop it. The offenders are lined up against the wall. They are given a small glass of liquor and then they die.”