REVEALED: Astonishing List of North Korea's 20 Crimes Punishable by Execution

Under dictator Kim Jong-Un's oppressive rule, North Koreans can be executed for more than 20 different crimes, many of them ambiguous, without a fair trial. The list emerged in the wake of the brutal murder of the country's defence minister for falling asleep during military meetings and answering back to Kim.

Hyon Yong-Chol, 66, who was named head of North Korea's military in 2012, was reported to have been executed in front of hundreds of bloodthirsty officials at a military camp in the capital Pyongyang on April 30.

South Korea's National Intelligence Agency told politicians that Hyon was killed by an anti-aircraft gun at Kang Kon Military Academy - a method cited in various unconfirmed reports as being reserved for senior officials who the leadership wishes to make examples of. Hyon is understood to have been arrested late last month and executed three days later without legal proceedings.

Thousands of executions have been carried out in North Korea since the 1950s, with the largest numbers in the 1990s and 2000s, according to the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).  The organisation, which represents more than 150 human rights across five continents, produced the list of crimes in a report after meeting with North Korean witnesses.

Michelle Kissenkoetter, director of the FIDH Asia desk, told MailOnline:

    'Many of the crimes that are punishable by death are very ambiguous. It's not very clear what can have you committed to execution. That lack of clarity is extremely concerning. The judicial system in North Korea is not transparent. Even if you are accused of a crime you are not given a fair trial.'

The crimes are:

     Plots against National Sovereignty (discretionary)
    Terrorism (discretionary)
    Treason (discretionary)
    Damage or destruction (discretionary)
    Perfidy against the People (discretionary)
    Intentional murder (discretionary)
    Extremely grave crime of deliberate damage or destruction of resources reserved for purposes of combat and military facilities (mandatory)
    Extremely grave crime of seizing state property (mandatory)
    Extremely grave crime of the deliberate damage or destruction of state property (mandatory)
    Extremely grave crime of currency counterfeiting (mandatory)
    Extremely grave crime of smuggling and introducing jewels and coloured metal onto the black market (mandatory)
    Crime of illicitly selling the state's resources (discretionary)
    Extremely grave crime of smuggling and introducing narcotics onto the black market (mandatory)
    Extraordinarily grave act of delinquency (discretionary)
    Crime of illegal business operations (discretionary)
    Extremely grave crime of deliberately inflicting aggravated bodily injuries (discretionary)
    Extremely grave crime of kidnapping (mandatory)
    Extraordinarily grave crime of rape (discretionary)
    Extremely grave crime of theft of private property (mandatory)
    Extraordinarily grave crime of escape from prison (discretionary)
    Crimes punishable by lifetime reform through labour or death penalty in exceptional circumstances (discretionary)
    Circulation of forex punishable by execution
    Execution by gun squad for divulging classified information via cell phone


The crimes punishable by death are split into two categories. At least nine are guaranteed to result in execution, including kidnapping, seizing state property and theft of private property. The punishment for making counterfeit money, illicitly selling the state's resources and escaping from prison are discretionary.

Since Kim Jong-Un rose to power in 2011, he has reportedly purged more than 70 officials. While he usually opts for firing squads using machine guns, there have been reports of officials being killed using mortar rounds at close range.

It was initially reported he had his uncle, Jang Song Thaek, eaten alive by a pack of starving dogs, although it's now believed he was executed by a firing squad. Kim had described his 67-year-old uncle – who was married to his father's sister – as a traitor, a womaniser and a 'despicable human scum'.

It has also been alleged he ordered his own aunt, Kim Kyong Hui, Jang's wife, be poisoned.