NORTH KOREAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR PEOPLE TRAFFICKING

a closed tribunal in North Korea sentenced a man, accused of organising and helping people to flee the country, to death. The provincial tribunal in Hoeryo'ng issued the death penalty to O Myo'ng-nam, from Hoeryo'ng, finding him guilty of “betrayal and trafficking innocent human beings.” Using a Chinese mobile phone, O Myo'ng-nam was allegedly in constant contact with North Korean expatriates in South Korea and allegedly helped the escape of 16 North Korean families to China, after having giving them money. In the same case, a second man, Han Kang-nam, from the same province, was sentenced to life imprisonment. The news of the two convicts was confirmed by various internal sources, including government officials.