North Korea executes people for sharing South Korean media, religious activities and drugs. North Korea has rejected criticism of its rights conditions as part of a plot to overthrow its rulers.

North Korea executes people for sharing South Korean media, religious activities and drugs as the country stifles its citizens’ human rights and freedom, according to a report by its rival South Korea.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, based the 450-page report on testimony collected from 2017 to 2022 from more than 500 North Koreans who fled their homeland.

“North Korean citizens’ right to life appears to be greatly threatened,” the ministry said in the report on Thursday.

“Executions are widely carried out for acts that do not justify the death penalty, including drug crimes, distribution of South Korean videos, and religious and superstitious activities.”

Pressmen could not independently verify the South Korean government’s findings, but they were in line with United Nations investigations and reports from non-governmental organisations.

North Korea has rejected criticism of its rights conditions as part of a plot to overthrow its rulers.

The report gave details of rampant state-led rights abuses in communities, prison camps and elsewhere, including public executions, torture and arbitrary arrests.

Deaths and torture regularly occur in detention facilities, and some people were summarily executed after being caught trying to cross the border, the ministry said.

The report came as South Korea seeks to highlight its isolated neighbour’s failure to improve living conditions while racing to boost its nuclear and missile arsenals.