[imText1]Results from a survey indicate that a large number of defectors who entered South Korea have witnessed public executions in North Korea more than once.
A defector based movement Free North Korea Broadcasting (FreeNK, representative Kim Sung Min) conducted a telephone survey last August consisting of 24 male defectors and 76 female defectors over the age of 20 years. The broadcast revealed that 98% of participants in the survey had witnessed public executions.
According to FreeNK, 49% of participants had witnessed public executions 6~10 times, 27% of participants 10~20 times and 6% of participants had witnessed public executions on more than 20 occasions. Taking the results of the survey into consideration, that the most of defectors had experienced public executions, it can be deduced that on the greater part, that the majority of North Korean citizens have witnessed public executions.
Further, 13% of defectors had witnessed public executions on 2~5 occasions, 3% of defectors only once and 2% of defectors never having witnessed a public execution. FreeNK revealed that of the defectors who had never witnessed a public execution, some responded that the thought “was terrifying and so did not attend the executions.”
Survey respondents revealed that murder and theft was the major crime committed by offenders, particularly during the food crisis in the mid-90’s where theft of daily necessities was most high. FreeNK further revealed responses by participants that “Stealing rice or corn, cross-handling electricity lines and slaughtering of cows served as the greater examples of crime.”
The broadcast revealed that in response to the question ‘What strategies are used to evade public executions’ the majority of defectors said personal background determined whether or not you had to attend public executions and that there were occasions where you were dismissed from public executions after giving bribes.
A participant of the survey Kim Min Cheol (pseudonym, defected 2003) said “Before the North Korean food crisis there were very few incidences where people would be sentenced to public execution for stealing daily necessities. However, now after the food crisis, if rations are stolen by the mass public execution is the penalty.”
Kim a female defector from Pyongyang revealed “As circumstances deteriorated, many people were sentenced to death for stealing either rations, honeyed water or trade. Even if crimes are petty, the government still sentences people to public execution as an example to those who commit crime.”
