North Korea’s highest court has tightened its grip on execution procedures as part of a broader campaign to assert central control over the legal system, Daily NK has learned.
“On Feb. 15, the Supreme Court issued directives to both the Ministry of Social Security and the Ministry of State Security mandating changes in how capital punishment is administered,” a source in North Korea told Daily NK recently. “The new protocols significantly limit law enforcement’s autonomy in executions and require faster submission of execution reports.”
These changes appear to stem from constitutional amendments passed during the 12th session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly held Jan. 22-23.
The Rodong Sinmun newspaper previously reported that the Supreme People’s Assembly had unanimously approved amendments renaming the Central Court and Central Public Prosecutors’ Office as the Supreme Court and Supreme Public Prosecutors’ Office.
“These directives represent the party’s effort to consolidate authority and control, which aligns with the Supreme Court’s renaming,” the source explained. “A key aspect of these orders is drastically reducing law enforcement’s independence regarding executions.”
Previously, police and state security agencies could conduct executions at their discretion once they received a death sentence and execution order from the Supreme Court. Under the new system, law enforcement must strictly adhere to execution procedures specified by the Supreme Court.
“Moving forward, law enforcement must submit an execution plan in advance and provide an immediate report from the execution site. Additionally, they must deliver a written report, photographs, and video documenting body disposal within 48 hours. The goal is complete control over the entire process,” the source said.
According to the source, the Supreme Court has issued detailed execution guidelines that law enforcement must follow precisely. This appears designed to curtail law enforcement’s autonomy and ensure procedural uniformity nationwide.
“In the past, judges showed little interest in how executions were actually carried out. But following these new directives, judges now recognize that capital punishment falls under the party’s policy priorities and feel increased pressure to closely supervise executions,” the source added.
The Supreme Court has also shortened the reporting deadline for executions. Previously, law enforcement had 72 hours to submit execution reports to superiors. Now, these reports must be filed within 48 hours.
This compressed timeline appears to be another mechanism for strengthening party oversight of executions.
“After an execution, numerous documents must be submitted to central authorities. Reducing this timeframe creates additional pressure on law enforcement agencies,” the source noted.
The source indicated growing uneasiness within law enforcement regarding the Party’s increasing control over execution procedures.
March 05, 2025 at 08:26AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)