Death by piranha: Did Kim Jong-un really execute a general with these deadly fish?

Kim Jong-un is known to be a brutal despot who expects unconditional loyalty from his followers. His sister was recently dubbed the 'Most Dangerous Woman in the World', but the North Korean leader has a truly terrifying track record himself.

Kim Jong-un is a mysterious figure who keeps his private life and his various properties out of the public eye. This makes for a whirlwind of speculation that occasionally spits out stories you don’t want to believe, but can’t help worrying may well be true. Here’s one of them.

Kim Jong-un’s piranha execution

Back in 2019, rumours surfaced about a particularly brutal execution carried out at the orders of Kim Jong-un. The North Korean leader reportedly asked his aides to come up with new and inventive ways to carry out executions. They obliged, and one of their ideas was inspired by the 1977 James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me. It involved a giant fish tank filled with piranhas. You can see where this is going.

One of Kim’s generals at the time was accused of planning a coup and Kim Jong-un reportedly ordered that he be executed. The man was taken to Ryongsong Residence, where this deadly fish tank had been installed, and thrown into the tank for the fish to feed on.

The victim’s limbs were cut open with knives before he was tossed, and it is unclear whether he passed away from these wounds, drowing, or the piranhas.

Death by piranhas

The fish had apparently been imported from Brazil, and was just one of many new execution styles that North Korea was testing out. A UK intelligence source told the Daily Star:

Kim rules by fear. Many enemies of the state are executed in public. He wants everyone to know, including his most trusted aides, that they are at risk of suffering a very unpleasant death if he suspects they are treasonous.

According to the BBC, though piranhas have very sharp teeth and can remove a human’s digit if they feel threatened, it is unlikely that they would attack a human in normal circumstances. However, in a fish tank where they had presumably been left to build up an appetite, it might be a different story.

As British intelligence source said:

The use of piranhas is classic Kim. He is all about using fear and terror as a political tool. Whether or not the use of piranhas is an efficient way of killing someone won’t bother him.

This Kim family viciousness only makes North Korea’s close relationship with Vladimir Putin all the more terrifying. This story is yet to be proven but there is no smoke without fire and, boy, there has been a lot of smoke over the years surrounding Kim Jong-un.

Read more:

⋙ Kim Jong-un reportedly spends $30 million a year on this one bad habit

⋙ Kim Jong-un makes ‘permanent’ change in country's constitution that could have terrifying consequences

⋙ Russia’s bizarre parting gift to Kim Jong-un after his successful six-day visit

Sources used:

Mirror: Kim Jong-un 'executes general by throwing him in piranha-filled fish tank'

Daily Star: Kim Jong-un executes general by throwing him in piranha-filled fish tank