The fact that North Korea has strengthened law enforcement efforts to combat new types of criminal activities by introducing a series of amendments to its criminal codes indicates that the country is facing disintegration due to the infiltration of western culture.
“After the introduction of the so called ‘July 1st Economic Management Reform Measure,’ North Korea drastically revised its regulations on external economic relations to bring in more foreign investment and in 2004, amended its criminal codes to save the regime from the infiltration of western culture,” said Choi Chang Dong, chief researcher of the Institute for National Security Strategy in a report released on May 7 under the title “Analysis of the 2005 and 2008 Criminal Code Amendment of the DPRK.”
Choi said, “There were some loopholes in the 2005 amendment due to procedural defects in the amendment process. So, the country had to amend its criminal codes again, twice in 2005 and once in March 2008.”
“The North’s adoption of partial open door policy has resulted in the rapid spread of western culture into the society, which could trigger the collapse of socialist ideology and regime. So, as part of efforts to prevent the collapse, the North adopted a series of amendments to its criminal laws,” explained Choi.
“In March 2008, North Korea introduced another amendment according to which individuals charged with drug possession are to be sentenced to death by shooting because drug use has been increasing among people suffering from the lack of basic necessities and medicine despite the state’s strict drug control,” said Choi.
According to the 2004 amendment, North Korea sentences those charged with drug manufacturing to two to five years in the labor reeducation camp (Article 216), those with drug use to up to two years in the labor-training corps (Article 217), and those with drug trafficking and sales to either up to five years in the labor camp (Article 218).
“The amendment of March 2008 further stiffened penalties against drug offenders. Individuals found to be possessing more than 300 grams of drug are to be sentenced to death penalty,” Choi said, “In addition, North Korea which did not have sufficient legal grounds to punish individuals involved with new types of offenses including making international phone calls, possessing copies of foreign pictures and smuggling now appears to have strengthened legal punishment against them.”
