Public execution in North Korea shocks local community
At the end of January in Sinuiju, North P'yŏngan Province, North Korea, a public execution took place of a young Korean woman convicted of murder, reports Daily NK. The residents were shocked as they did not expect a shooting, and there were young children among the audience.
According to Daily NK, the execution occurred on the 20th of January in a square near the local market. It followed a brief public trial attended by police officers and court officials.
A woman in her early twenties was sentenced for murdering a couple in their seventies last October. According to testimonies, she worked in a bag factory. She was reportedly caught stealing several times until she was dismissed by the party committee in October. The woman had reportedly evaded public work duties, which unemployed individuals are expected to perform.
When the young woman ran out of money, she sought assistance from an elderly couple she was acquainted with. They offered her shelter. One day, she discovered their considerable savings - it is alleged that she killed them and absconded with the cash.
Many children were in shock
The trial was observed by numerous people. The abrupt execution by shooting shocked everyone. There were also children under 10 years old in the audience.
- We didn’t know there would be a public execution. A lot of children there were traumatised seeing their first public execution, - a source told Daily NK.
According to the portal, the execution was conducted publicly to "deter such crimes." Crime is reportedly increasing in the country, related to economic problems.
