North Korean authorities continue to conduct public executions of alleged criminals, Daily NK has confirmed recently.<\/p>\n
Last year, North Korea focused on producing results to mark the 10th anniversary of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un\u2019s ascent to power. This year, the country appears to be intensifying control over the population with a view to elevate loyalty to Kim and the Workers’ Party.<\/span><\/p>\n According to a Daily NK source in Kangwon Province on Monday, a man in his 50s \u2014 identified as Mr. A \u2014 was publicly executed before his neighbors and colleagues in the city of Wonsan.<\/span><\/p>\n A doctor, Mr. A responded to medicine shortages by prescribing patients with homemade penicillin and streptomycin produced with Chinese-made ingredients he had purchased. The man made a good deal of money selling these illegally manufactured drugs.<\/span><\/p>\n North Korea suffers from severe shortages of medicine and it is commonplace for individuals to sell homemade drugs manufactured with ingredients they purchase themselves. Others distribute smuggled, unlicensed Chinese-made drugs.<\/span><\/p>\n The North Korean government has strongly cracked down on the illegal manufacture or smuggling of drugs since the country launched its “maximum emergency epidemic prevention system” in May after publicly acknowledging a domestic COVID-10 outbreak for the first time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n At the time, Kim Jong Un even had some of his own household drugs sent to families in need. During an “emergency consultation meeting,” he condemned the hoarding and illegal distribution of medications. His comments led to intensified crackdowns on the illegal manufacture and distribution of drugs.<\/span><\/p>\n In Mr. A\u2019s case, the doctor had been punished once before for selling illegal drugs. This time, however, he was executed for his alleged crimes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Given the fact that the manufacture and distribution of drugs has been commonplace in North Korea, people who observed the execution expressed terror and fright. \u201cNo matter how things were in the past, you\u2019ll now face the ultimate punishment if you don\u2019t follow the Workers’ Party’s laws,\u201d one said, according to the source.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n SOLDIERS ALSO FACE PUBLIC EXECUTIONS FOR ALLEGED CRIMES<\/strong><\/p>\n Public executions are commonplace even within North Korea’s military.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n