North Korea will grant pardons to an unspecified number of convicted criminals from August, DPRK state-run media reported on Monday, the first such pardoning of criminals since 2015.

The Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA) of the DPRK announced a decree about the issue last Thursday, on July 12, state media said.

“The DPRK will grant an amnesty to those who had been convicted of the crimes against the country and people on the occasion of the 70th founding anniversary of the DPRK,” the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

The general amnesty will take effect from August 1, with