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North Korea revised its criminal law back in April to reinforce provisions related to "anti-state and anti-nation offenses" in an attempt to strengthen its legal system for the purpose of maintaining the system, it was confirmed Tuesday.
According to a revised version of the North's criminal law, obtained by the authorities concerned including the National Intelligence Service, "participants in a coup, riot, demonstration and attack" were added to those who are subject to the crime of subversive conspiracy. Subject to this crime were only "participants in a conspiracy" under the previous version.
Among anti-state and anti-nation crimes, the penalty of "hard labor for more than 5 years and less than 10 years" for one found guilty of participating in an armed riot has been amended to the penalty of "hard labor for more than 5 years" with the upper ceiling omitted. The penalties of hard labor for more than 10 years and death for armed riot ring leaders were changed into "lifelong hard labor or death" with the bottom line heightened substantially. The penalties for "those who have escaped to other countries betraying the Fatherland" were revised from "hard labor for more than 5 years and less than 10 years" to "hard labor for more than 5 years," with the bottom line eliminated.
The amended criminal law has newly stipulated "crimes infringing upon the order of national defense control," created a new chapter on "crimes violating socialist culture" plus a provision providing for the principle of legality.
Also newly created was the crime of obscenity, judging obscene culture as a poison of capitalism. One who is found to "have listened to obscene music, performed an obscene dance or watched an obscene video or compact disk" is liable for punishment under the new criminal law. Those who are found to have listened to anti-state broadcasting or have possessed an anti-state leaflet are given prison terms of not more than 5 years.
At the same time, the North has reinforced provisions protecting the right to private property. The penalty for "illegally seizing another's property" was reinforced from "hard labor for less than 10 years" to "hard labor for more than 10 years."
The North's criminal law, legislated by the Supreme People's Council (the North Korean legislature) in March 1950, was amended for a fifth time this year. Its previous revisions came in 1974, 1987, 1995 and 1999.
(Kim In-gu, ginko@chosun.com )
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