Does North Korea have the death penalty?
Retained / in use
Retained in law and used.
North Korea is one of 54 countries classified “Retained / in use” for the death penalty — 28% of the 196 with data. (Also searched as capital punishment.)
Source
- Taken from
- Wikipedia: Capital punishment by country
- Last checked
- 15 September 2026
- How it was classified
- Read directly from the source’s own table, without interpretation.
Nearby countries
- South Korea
- Not used in practice Retained in law, but not used for at least ten years.
- Japan
- Retained / in use Retained in law and used.
- Taiwan
- Retained / in use Retained in law and used.
- China
- Retained / in use Retained in law and used.
- Mongolia
- Fully abolished Fully abolished for all crimes.
- Philippines
- Fully abolished Fully abolished for all crimes.
Other laws in North Korea
- Gun Laws
- Highly restrictive / banned
- Military Conscription
- Active conscription
Every law in North Korea → · Which countries have the death penalty? →
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.