The Three Generation Rule

If a member of your family committed a crime, would you think you were as bad as them? What would others think of you?  North Korea is known for its punishments and it is also known as a strict country where your freedom is short and rare to have without feeling watched. After reading Guy Delisle’s Pyongyang, he mentions how his guide explains to him that “It’s like their permanent fear of landing in one of the re-education camps. A sword of damocles hangs over every head waiting for one false move.”  You could say it’s a manipulative and fear tactic on the citizens.

Out of all the laws and punishments that could be made, why is punishing the next three generations sound okay to do in North Korea? His drawing shows a group of people led by a rope between a gap. Showing if one falls in the gap, so do the rest for three generations.In North Korea, if one family member commits a crime whether it’s something small or major, the next three generations shall be punished for it. When the crime is committed, the person who made it happen is sent to a prison camp as well as their family. Any members born in the prison camp must remain there for life.When three generations grow into a fourth, the punishment is lifted from the family but not the prisoner themself depending on the crime. Though the main prisoner would most likely be executed already.

Something that can be connected to the three generation punishment are executions in North Korea. It’s a large connection because if the crime is something horrible (in their eyes), family members can be executed as well even if they’ve never done a bad thing in their life. Not only are executions taken place but public ones. Public executions can be shown to the citizens whether it’s  hanging, firing squad, or decapitation. In North Korea, public executions is a form of brainwashing and setting examples on others to the citizens. When a public execution is held, people of all ages as young as twelve years old must watch. Young children are encouraged to watch so they can become aware what could happen in their future if they were to turn their backs on their leader or commit an unforgivable crime. Since 2000, there have been a record of 1,400 public executions.

There are two questions that I, myself have. Why are the next three generations punished if a family member commits a crime? Not every family member is alike to one another.  Why are there public executions? I see it as a way to put fear into the citizens and set horrible examples onto the youth.