Report: North Korea executes 15 people for attempting to flee

Seoul - Some 15 people were publically executed in North Korea either for attempting to flee the country or attempting to aid others in fleeing, a South Korean aid organization reported Wednesday. The Buddhist group Good Friends said that 13 women and 2 men were executed by firing squad on a bridge in the north-eastern border town of Onsong on February 20. Good Friends however provided no sources for the information. The executions were meant as a warning to others considering illegally crossing the border into China, Good Friends quoted North Korean authorities as saying. According to the aid organization, the North Korean actions caused anger among Onsong residents, as the attempted escapes were due to widespread hungry in the ara. The shootings were 'too much,' Good Friends quoted a local resident as saying. Numerous people flee hunger or repression in North Korea to China every year. Estimates have it that between 50,000 to 300,000 North Korean refugees are resident in China, where they in general remain underground. If discovered by Chinese authorities, the refugees face deportation back to North Korea. Human rights groups also report that many refugees fall into the hands of human traffickers.

And Also

The Decade: Film's 10 Best Music Moments In The Aughts

The Decade: Film's 10 Best Music Moments In The Aughts - Cinema Blend
GASP: Goldstriker creates world's most expensive iPhone - The Tech Herald
Mysteries of "Zhu Zhu Hamsters," "Al Alberts," and "White House Party Crashers" Solved - PopEater
Chris Rock interview, Sons of Anarchy and Woody Allen shout out for 'Madagascar' star

Asia-Pacific

Asia-Pacific News

Report: North Korea executes 15 people for attempting to flee

And Also

Your Talkback on this Story

Similar articles

Latest Headlines in Asia-Pacific

Older Talkback

From Sites we Like

In Monsters and Critics

Corporate

The Fine Print