South Korea has released a report based on the testimony of over 500 North Koreans who fled their homeland from 2017 to 2022, stating that North Korea executes its citizens for drug crimes, sharing South Korean media, and religious activities, while also suppressing their human rights and freedom. The Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, compiled the 450-page report that detailed rampant state-led rights abuses in communities, prison camps, and elsewhere, including public executions, torture, and arbitrary arrests. The report is in line with U.N. investigations and reports from non-governmental organizations. North Korea has rejected criticism of its rights conditions as part of a plot to overthrow its rulers. The report came as South Korea seeks to highlight its isolated neighbor’s failure to improve living conditions while racing to boost its nuclear and missile arsenals.
