North publicly executes successful business couple for 'antistate' attitude, Daily Mail reports
Published: 21 Nov. 2025, 14:29
![A North Korean flag flutters at the propaganda village of Gijungdong in North Korea, in this picture taken near the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas. [REUTERS/YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/21/edbb3190-30f8-467f-8102-33fd8df897d4.jpg)
A North Korean flag flutters at the propaganda village of Gijungdong in North Korea, in this picture taken near the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas. [REUTERS/YONHAP]
A couple who were considered major business operators in North Korea were recently executed in public, according to The Daily Mail.
The British newspaper reported Wednesday that the couple, who ran a private business in Pyongyang, were executed after authorities accused them of becoming “arrogant” and “antirepublic” as their business grew.
The couple had reportedly earned significant profits by selling, repairing and renting regular and electric bicycles as well as motorcycle parts. They were officially registered with the Central Committee of the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea in Pyongyang’s Sadong area.
However, as their business expanded, some residents reportedly complained about high prices, poor product quality and what they described as the couple’s increasingly arrogant demeanor.
Authorities arrested the couple in early August and, following a joint interrogation, sentenced them to death in early September. Twenty others connected to the case were sentenced to deportation or re-education. The couple was charged with promoting reactionary ideology and accused of collaborating with outside organizations to illegally transfer foreign currency and spread antistate messages.
Their execution was conducted outdoors in Pyongyang in front of an audience of about 200. Authorities reportedly described the execution as a measure to “prevent economic disorder and educate the public.”
The Daily Mail interpreted the punishment as a strong warning signaling the North Korean government's intent to cut off outside influence and tighten control over private economic activity.
BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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