North Korea holds public execution witnessed by children
At the end of January in Sinuiju, North P'yŏngan Province, North Korea, a public execution of a young Korean woman convicted of murder took place, reports Daily NK. The residents were shocked as they did not expect a shooting, especially with young children present in the audience.
According to Daily NK, the execution occurred on January 20 in a square near the local market. It happened after a swift public trial attended by police officers and court officials.
A woman in her early 20s was sentenced for murdering a couple in their 70s last October. According to testimonies, she worked in a bag factory. She was reportedly caught stealing multiple times until the party committee dismissed her in October. The woman had allegedly been avoiding public work duties, which unemployed individuals are obliged to perform.
After running out of money, she sought help from an elderly couple she knew. They provided her with shelter. One day, she discovered their large savings—she is alleged to have killed them and fled with the cash.
Many children were in shock
A large number of people attended the trial. The unexpected execution by shooting shocked everyone. There were also children under 10 years old among the audience.
— We didn’t know there would be a public execution. A lot of children there were traumatized seeing their first public execution, — a source told Daily NK.
According to the outlet, the execution was conducted publicly to "deter such crimes." Crime is reportedly on the rise in the country, linked to economic difficulties.
