North Korea Publicly Executes Woman, Raising Concerns Over Justice and Brutality
In late January, a woman in her early twenties, surnamed Lee, was publicly executed in Sinuiju, North Pyongan province, for the October murder of an elderly couple. The swift trial and execution, witnessed by a crowd including children, served as a deterrent against rising violent crime fueled by economic hardship. Lee, previously dismissed from her job for theft, killed the couple after they offered her shelter, stealing their savings. Authorities are reportedly reverting to harsher punishments like public executions in response to the increase in violent crime.