A major UN report reveals that North Korea is increasingly using the death penalty, including for citizens caught watching or sharing foreign films and TV shows. The regime's control over its population has tightened significantly over the past decade, leading to widespread suffering and a severe degradation of human rights.

• Over the past 10 years, the North Korean state has introduced at least six new laws that allow for the death penalty, with public executions by firing squad being carried out to instill fear.
• The UN Human Rights Office conducted over 300 interviews with escapees, confirming increased executions for distributing foreign content.
• Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, warned that without intervention, North Koreans would endure continued suffering and repression.