Charged with human trafficking, a 39-year-old woman surnamed Ri, and a 43-year-old surnamed Kang were executed on Aug 31 after a public trial in the northeastern port city of Chongjin, according to Jang Se-yul, head of Gyeore'eol Unification Solidarity, based in Seoul.

Nine other women were sentenced to life in prison on the same charges.

All 11 women were among a group of around 500 North Koreans which China forcibly repatriated in October 2023.

"These two women were executed because they had sent North Korean escapees from China to their enemy country, South Korea," Jang told RFA Korean.

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The figures exclude some countries that are thought to carry out executions but where figures are unavailable because data on the death penalty is classified.

The rights group was also able to confirm that executions were carried out in North Korea, Vietnam, Syria and Afghanistan, but said there was insufficient information to provide credible minimum figures.

Of the countries with known figures, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Egypt alone carried out 90% of 883 known executions.

These figures, however, exclude China, which is thought to execute thousands each year.

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