Mumbai, June 8: Kim Jong Un, North Korea's dictator is reportedly said to have passed a "secret order" banning suicide in the country. The 39-year-old North Korean leader is said to have taken the decision stating that suicide is "treason against socialism". After passing the said "secret order", Kim Jong Un is also believed to have ordered local governments in the country to take preventive measures to stop suicides.

As per a report in the Hindustan Times, the decision comes following a rise in the number of suicide cases across the country. Another report said that there has been a spike in the number of people in the country taking their own lives. The report also stated that one spy agency found that suicides in North Korea were up by 40 percent this year when compared to last year. North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un’s Sister Kim Yo Jong Vows Second Attempt To Launch Spy Satellite, Slams UN Meeting.

Speaking about the rise in the number of suicide in North Korea, a spokesperson of South Korea's National Intelligence Service said, "There are a lot of ­internal unrest factors in North Korea due to ­people’s hardships." Reports also suggest that the confidential suicide order was passed in spite of emergency meetings across the country.

One of the emergency meetings is said to have recorded 35 suicide cases this year in Chongjin City. On the other hand, Kyongsong County alone saw the most number of suicide cases which involved whole families taking their lives together. Meanwhile, deaths due to starvation have tripled in North Korea this year. Kim Jong Un Suffering From Insomnia: North Korea Leader May Have Sleeping Disorder, Becoming ‘More Dependent’ on Alcohol and Cigarettes’, Say Reports.

At the meeting in Ryanggang province, an official said, "Despite the suicide prevention policy ratified by the General Secretary, the officials were not able to come up with an appropriate solution." The official also said that the suicide cases were a result of severe poverty and starvation across North Korea.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 08, 2023 09:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).