The criminal laws of a State is one indication of the values that that State holds dear. The Criminal Law of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is no different, placing the national and collective interest over those of individuals.
Some translator’s notes to keep in mind:
This translation was much easier with this 2009 translation by the Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights at hand.
References to the National Defence Commission, I think, are to be taken as references to the State Affairs Commission. The latest amendments to the Criminal Law were in 2015, the year before the State Affairs Commission was established.
“Less than” and “fewer than” have been united as “less than” for uniformity; they are the same term in Korean.