A history of violence: North Korea seeks to curb assault with toothless new law



Analysis A history of violence: North Korea seeks to curb assault with toothless new law Creation of anti-battery law points to widespread violence, but light penalties betray authorities’ lenient attitude Peter Ward August 4, 2023 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Card art of a man breaking a brick with a at the Arirang Mass Games in Pyongyang \| Image: Eric Lafforgue (Sept. 2008) Officially, North Korea is a people’s paradise with no social problems — beyond the persistent food shortages that the regime has occasionally acknowledged. But a new law adopted in Nov. 2021, which South Korea’s intelligence agency published the full text for earlier this year, points to a much more violent issue facing the people of North Korea. Within the context of human rights reports from North Korean refugees and leaked official documents, analysis of this anti-battery law shows that: Battery is defined in broad terms and covers a wide range of violent behaviors apparently Read More © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. LATEST ANALYSIS 01Bricks in the wall: How North Korean textbooks indoctrinate support for regime 02State media review: North Korea mourns one Kim leader, while glorifying another 03How North Korea could steal from China’s playbook to assert its maritime claims 04Why Russia’s designs on North Korean rare-earth metals probably won’t pan out 05At plenum, Kim Jong Un forces out elderly officials to make way for new blood 06North Korea using Chinese machines to make weapons at new factory, photos show 07Cyber giants unite: How the North Korea-Russia treaty amplifies cyber threats 08State media review: North Korean officials ditch Kim Jong Un badges after plenum

Analysis

A history of violence: North Korea seeks to curb assault with toothless new law

Creation of anti-battery law points to widespread violence, but light penalties betray authorities’ lenient attitude

Peter Ward August 4, 2023

A history of violence: North Korea seeks to curb assault with toothless new law

Card art of a man breaking a brick with a at the Arirang Mass Games in Pyongyang | Image: Eric Lafforgue (Sept. 2008)

Officially, North Korea is a people’s paradise with no social problems — beyond the persistent food shortages that the regime has occasionally acknowledged.

But a new law adopted in Nov. 2021, which South Korea’s intelligence agency published the full text for earlier this year, points to a much more violent issue facing the people of North Korea.

Within the context of human rights reports from North Korean refugees and leaked official documents, analysis of this anti-battery law shows that:

Battery is defined in broad terms and covers a wide range of violent behaviors apparently

01Bricks in the wall: How North Korean textbooks indoctrinate support for regime
02State media review: North Korea mourns one Kim leader, while glorifying another
03How North Korea could steal from China’s playbook to assert its maritime claims
04Why Russia’s designs on North Korean rare-earth metals probably won’t pan out
05At plenum, Kim Jong Un forces out elderly officials to make way for new blood
06North Korea using Chinese machines to make weapons at new factory, photos show
07Cyber giants unite: How the North Korea-Russia treaty amplifies cyber threats
08State media review: North Korean officials ditch Kim Jong Un badges after plenum

A history of violence: North Korea seeks to curb assault with toothless new law

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Peter Ward