US EditionAmnesty: North Korea Executes People for Watching K-Dramas
Amnesty reports North Korea punishes South Korean media consumption with executions and labor camps, often influenced by bribery and social status, based on testimonies from defectors.
- On Wednesday, Amnesty International reported North Korea executes and severely punishes people caught watching South Korean and other foreign media, based on 25 escapees interviewed in 2025.
- Under the 2020 Anti-Reactionary Thought and Culture Act, South Korean content is defined as `rotten ideology` and mandates forced labour sentences of five to 15 years, with the death penalty for large-scale distribution.
- A specialized `109 Group` conducts warrantless searches while security officials solicit bribes, with families selling homes to raise 5,000 or 10,000 USD to avoid harsh penalties.
- Amnesty urged the North Korean government to repeal laws criminalizing access to information and to abolish the death penalty for such offences, but has received no response.
- A follow-up U.N. human-rights assessment found no improvement, aligning with Amnesty's findings, while COVID-19 border closures sharply reduced escapes, framing recent testimonies.
51 Articles
51 Articles
North Korea executing people for watching Squid Game
North Korea is executing people in public for watching South Korean TV shows and listening to K-Pop, according to a leading international human rights organisation.People who have fled North Korea between 2012 and 2020 have detailed the punishments under the ban on foreign media during a series of in-depth interviews with Amnesty International.South Korean television shows, including the Netflix hit Squid Game, have surged in popularity around t…
North Korean Teens Face Firing Squads For Watching 'Squid Game,' Listening To K-Pop
New testimonies from those who managed to flee North Korea have painted a grim picture of a nation where a simple interest in foreign pop culture can lead to a death sentence. Reports gathered by Amnesty International reveal that the Pyongyang government is using public executions and forced labor camps to crack down on citizens, […] North Korean Teens Face Firing Squads For Watching ‘Squid Game,’ Listening To K-Pop
Kim Jong-un's North Korea killing kids for watching Squid Games and K-drama? What report claims
A wave of fear has reportedly gripped the nation, where South Korean culture is treated as a serious crime. In 2021, The Korea Times reported that North Korean teenagers were caught and punished for listening to BTS
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 37% of the sources lean Right
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
