Amended and supplemented on January 21, Juche 104 (2015), as Directive No. 324 of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly Amended and supplemented on July 22, Juche 104 (2015), as Directive No. 578 of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly CHAPTER I. THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF CRIMINAL LAW Article 1 (Objectives of Criminal Law) The criminal law of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea defends the sovereignty of the State and the socialist system and, by establishing the system of criminal liability and the penal codes for crimes, ensures that the people can lead independent and creative lives. Article 2 (Principle of Preventing Crime) The State shall attempt to ensure that all citizens respect and strictly observe state laws and take an active part in the fight against crime so as to prevent crime. Article 3 (Principle of Treating Offenders) In the treatment of offenders, the State shall strictly adhere to working-class principle and blend legal sanctions with social education on which it will focus. Article 4 (Principle of Treating Those who Repent Ethnic Treason) The State shall not probe the history of a person who has worked actively for national reunification, and shall not enquire into his or her criminal liability, even if he or she has committed acts of treason against his or her nation and people. Article 5 (Principle of Treating Offender Who Surrenders Himself or Herself) The State shall be lenient and pardon those who sincerely repent their wrongdoings and surrender themselves voluntarily, even if he or she has committed a crime. Article 6 (Principle of Imposing Criminal Liability Only for Acts Prohibited by Criminal Law) The State shall impose criminal liability only for acts defined as offences under the criminal law. Article 7 (Principle of Imposing Penalty) The State shall consider the dangerousness of the criminal act and the criminal in imposing an appropriate penalty. Article 8 (The Legal Effect of Criminal Law on Citizen and Territory)