A Japanese TV channel on Wednesday night aired video footage of a public execution of a woman said to have taken place in Hamju, North Korea on July 10. The clip was broadcast by Asahi TV.

North Korean soldiers shoot a woman in a public execution in South Hamgyeong Province on July 10. The soldiers, at right, shoot after the command is given by the officer in charge. The woman then slumps to the ground.

The women was accused of stealing 10 kg of corn from the kitchen of a colleague and murdering the colleague's 12-year-old daughter in the process. She then allegedly sold the corn for W3,500 (on the black market $US1 is exchanged for 3,000 North Korean won) at a local market and buying food with the money.

The video shows the public trial of the women in April, followed by the execution which occurred out in the open, with young students and residents looking on.

It is the second time a tape of a public execution has made it out of North Korea, the first showing a similar incident in Hoeryeong in March last year.