Derryn Hinch is lucky he doesn't live in North Korea

You snooze, you lose… in North Korea

Justice Party Senator Derryn Hinch taking a nap on the job. Source: Twitter

This week, veteran radio-broadcaster-turned-novice-senator Derryn Hinch fell asleep in parliament.

It gave us a good chuckle, a funny tweet or two, and that was really it.

But for North Korean education ministry worker, Ri Yong-jin, who fell asleep during a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the consequences were dire.

Yong-jin was reportedly executed by the Supreme Leader after offending him for falling asleep in his presence.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Source: AAP

South Korea’s JoongAng Ilbo newspaper reported, “He incurred the wrath of Kim after he dozed off during a meeting that Kim presided over. He was arrested on-site and intensively questioned by the state security ministry. He was executed after other charges, such as corruption, were found during the probe.”

But what does it say about our society or even our sense of democracy that we just laugh about a polly sleeping on the job, when in another country it's a punishable offence?

The kicker here is the Justice Party senator has famously been pushing to change rules surrounding still photography in the Senate.

As the rule stands, photographers may only take photos of senators when they have the floor. But in the House of Representatives, still photography of all MPs is permitted anytime during parliament.

Senator Hinch has said he believes all politicians should be held accountable for how they behave or what they do in parliament. He also pointed out parliamentary sessions are televised anyway, and cameramen don’t face the same restrictions as still photographers.

"If you get caught nibbling your ear wax, or counting your money or dozing: tough," Senator Hinch said in a public statement.

However, when the rule was suspended as the new parliament was sworn in on Tuesday, he was the first to fall victim.

But at least he was able to laugh it off.

Which is more that we can say about what happened to Ri Yong-jin.