The number of state executions rose sharply in North Korea following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, and a “special effort” is being made to counter Christianity, which is seen as a Western religious import, it is emerging.
A new report from the Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG), based in Seoul, revealed that following a decline in the years before the pandemic, executions and death sentences surged by 116.7% after the nation closed its border due to Covid-19, with an increase of 247.7% in the number of individuals subjected to such treatment.
The vast majority of killings were carried out by shooting, while almost three quarters were carried out publicly and almost 5% were carried out without a trial. Perhaps most concerningly for Christians, the number of executions for the influence of South Korean and Western culture, including religious and superstitious practices, surged by 250% after the border closed in 2020.
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