North Korean authorities reportedly introduced the death penalty for promoting Zionism and at the same time described Israel as an “illegal state,” in line with their extreme, anti-Israel rhetoric.
A New Law or Propaganda?
Independent human rights organisations and North Korean law researchers, however, point out that access to the official text of the new regulations is very limited. In practice, this means it is difficult to tell a real change in the criminal code from a propaganda message designed to strengthen the regime’s image as an uncompromising enemy of Israel and the West.
According to reports, North Korea has passed a law imposing the death penalty on people found guilty of promoting Zionism, while condemning Israel as an “illegal state.” The decree is part of a broader campaign aimed at delegitimising Israel by equating Zionist ideology with a serious crime punishable by death.
Kim Jong-un, known as an avid reader of Adolf Hitler – a fact first made public in 2013, when he handed out copies of Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” as birthday gifts – appears to be guiding this hard line. Although North Korea does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Israel, its official rhetoric has historically been harsh, describing Israel as an “imperialist satellite” and accusing it of war crimes and nuclear aggression.
The announcement follows earlier statements condemning Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip and Iran. In June, Pyongyang sharply criticised both the United States and Israel, calling their actions “illegal acts of state terrorism” and calling for global condemnation.
Experts argue that the decree signals North Korea’s intention to harden its anti-Israel stance by using stricter legal measures to strengthen ideological ties with Iran and Palestine, while also reinforcing internal propaganda.
Pyongyang’s Anti-Israel Line
North Korea has for years not maintained diplomatic relations with Israel and regularly accuses it of “imperialist” actions and “state terrorism” in the Middle East. In official statements, the regime links its criticism of Israel with attacks on the USA, presenting both countries as the main enemies of the international order.
The Death Penalty in North Korea: Wider Context
Even without the new provisions on Zionism, North Korea’s criminal system already provided for the death penalty for a range of “ideological” offences, such as “reactionary culture” or criticism of the authorities. UN and human rights organisation reports describe executions, among other things, for watching South Korean dramas, smuggling films, or distributing content deemed “hostile to the system.”
According to analyses of criminal code changes in recent years, the number of crimes punishable by death has increased, and the state is tightening its control over the flow of information and contact with the outside world. In this context, adding “Zionism” to the list of banned ideologies would be a extension of the existing logic of repression rather than a radical exception.
