Sim Hyong-il, a director of the Supreme People's Assembly's...

Sim Hyong-il, a director of the Supreme People's Assembly's legislation committee, announced at a question-and-answer session on the first of a two-day review of its second periodic report, submitted to the UN Human Rights Committee, that the number of death sentences handed down and executions carried out in the country were six and five, respectively, in 1998, four each in 1999 and five and four in 2000. He added that no death sentences had been handed down during the first three months of this year, flatly denying allegations of public and secret executions, forced labour and torture.