New report finds evidence of escalation of executions for religious activities

A new report by the Seoul-based NGO Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG) has found evidence of a significant escalation of executions in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, including for religious and ‘superstitious folk’ activities.

The report, compiled by witness testimony from North Korean defectors and sources within the country, finds that executions in the DPRK have increased by 117% since the country closed its borders at the outbreak of the pandemic, identifying 46 execution locations and specifying the exact coordinates for 40 of them. The report also documents a further 144 executions, including 136 events involving at least 358 individuals. 70% of executions were carried out publicly, with crowds often including schoolchildren forced to watch.

The report highlights that executions for religious and ‘superstitious folk’ activities increased since the Anti-Reactionary and Thought Crime Law, which also criminalises the viewing and dissemination of Western and South Korean content such as music and K-dramas, was enacted in 2020 and revised in 2022/23. During the period covered by the report, capital murder cases – previously the most common crime punished by the death penalty – fell by 44%, while capital punishment for the dissemination of western culture and information (including religious practice) rose by 250%.

The DPRK was the first country to fully close its borders during the pandemic. As of 1 April 2026, it remained officially closed to international tourism, with the sole exception of Russian nationals who are currently permitted to visit under limited arrangements. No official announcements or timelines have been released regarding when the country will reopen its borders to travellers of other nationalities. The report claims that the Kim dynasty has exploited the lack of international scrutiny to increase executions and to further control and repress the population.

Dr Ethan Hee-seok Shin, Head Legal Analyst at TJWG, told CSW: ‘Until the 1940s, Pyongyang was called “the Jerusalem of the East” because of its teeming religious activities before three generations of genocidal persecution by the Kim dynasty. Eight decades later, these communities have been nearly eradicated. Since the pandemic, executions for religious and “superstitious” acts, along with distribution and consumption of foreign culture and information, have been on the rise to reinstate totalitarian control in a worrying development. North Korea, however, responds to external pressure, which presents a useful leverage, and the international community should consider more robust accountability options, like the new Afghanistan mechanism or the Iran fact-finding mission, to deter and punish these crimes against humanity of murder.’

CSW’s CEO Scot Bower said: ‘The situation of human rights in North Korea remains one of the direst in the world. It is often forgotten and overlooked for the crisis of the day. We cannot look away. This report highlights the deadly threat faced by religious groups and practitioners of traditional folk religion in North Korea. The Kim regime has slowed executions in the past on the back of international pressure; this advocacy must be resumed through international criminal courts.’

Note to Editors:

1. In 2024 CSW and TJWG co-authored and launched a report marking the 10th anniversary of the 2014 United Nations Commission of Inquiry into the situation of human rights in the DPRK.