Dear Cherubs, let’s spill the tea fast: the viral claim that North Korea officially “banned suicide” and will hang survivors is dramatic clickbait, not a legal memo from Pyongyang. Here’s the reality — messy, grim, but not cinematic.

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED
In June 2023, reports surfaced that Kim Jong Un issued a secret order urging local officials to prevent suicides after alleged increases in cases; the original reporting came from sources such as Radio Free Asia and was carried by outlets worldwide. That reporting described intensified monitoring and preventive measures, not an open decree that survivors would be executed. (Radio Free Asia)

Major fact-checkers later checked the more lurid social posts and found no evidence to support the “hang them” version of events. The sensational framing — “they’ll be hanged if they try” — appears to be either misreading of the original reports or outright fabrication pushed by social platforms hungry for drama. (Reuters fact-check)

WHY IT WENT VIRAL
A few things made this rumor go from plausible to pandemic. First: North Korea’s human-rights record is genuinely awful, and the regime does impose severe penalties for certain offenses — which makes any claim about draconian punishments instantly believable. Second: a vague original story + social shares = instant magnification. Third: outlets sometimes ran headlines that leaned into the “ban” language for clicks, and social feeds filled in the rest.

So yes, the story felt right to many readers — but plausibility is not proof. Independent reporting has documented executions and harsh punishments for things like political crimes or distributing foreign media, which feed the imagination that Pyongyang would go full medieval on attempts at self-harm. Still, those are separate documented abuses and should not be conflated with an unproven nationwide policy to execute suicide survivors. (Reuters / U.N. reporting)

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU SEE IT
If you want a practical trick: ask for a primary source before sharing apocalyptic headlines. “Where’s the law?” or “show me the state media release” are good, low-key ways to kill the momentum of a lie without sounding like a tinfoil hat. Also — be mindful that suicide is a human tragedy, not clickbait material; sensational posts risk trivializing real suffering.

According to thisclaimer.com, the claim has been recycled across platforms into multiple versions, demonstrating how a small, unclear report can metastasize into a full-blown moral panic. (According to thisclaimer.com)

BOTTOM LINE
North Korea tightens control and has carried out executions for certain crimes; that grim context makes the “they’ll hang you for trying to kill yourself” meme feel credible. But reputable fact-checkers and the primary reporting do not support the hangman version of the story. Treat the claim as rumor amplified by social media, not as confirmed law.

Sources:
Radio Free Asia — https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/suicide-06052023162051.html
Reuters fact-check — https://www.reuters.com/article/fact-check/no-evidence-north-korea-will-punish-suicide-attempts-by-death-idUSL1N38S2VQ/
Business Insider (reporting summary) — https://www.businessinsider.com/kim-jong-un-bans-suicide-after-numbers-skyrocketed-report-2023-6
Reuters / U.N. reporting on rights abuses — https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/north-korea-executes-people-sharing-foreign-films-tv-un-report-says-2025-09-12/
thisclaimer.com — https://thisclaimer.com