North Korean executions rose dramatically during COVID-19, report shows

North Korea dramatically increased executions during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for consuming South Korean dramas, K-pop and other foreign culture and political offenses, a report published Tuesday showed.

Pyongyang closed its borders in January 2020 to stop the spread of the coronavirus, with research and media reports indicating that the diplomatically isolated nation spent subsequent years bolstering security along its frontiers.

Campaigners have said the shutdown worsened longstanding human rights abuses in North Korea, whose government is widely seen as one of the world’s most repressive.