The North Korean regime under Kim Jong Un has carried out 64 public executions in the first nine months of this year, South Korea's spy agency said Wednesday.
The North, which had previously exercised restraint in undertaking public executions, resumed them after the U.N. Security Council in March imposed additional sanctions on the country following its long-range rocket launch and nuclear test earlier in the year, the National Intelligence Service reported to a parliamentary panel behind closed doors, according to participants.
The NIS report said that Kim has recently been feeling anxious about his personal safety, and has even implemented additional measures for detecting explosives and poison.
He is also frequently canceling or changing his plans for outside activities such as on-site inspections, it said.