A 22-year-old North Korean man was publicly executed in 2022 for watching and distributing South Korean films and music, according to a report released by South Korea's unification ministry. The case highlights Pyongyang's ongoing efforts to suppress the influx of foreign culture, particularly among young people.
The 2024 Report on North Korean Human Rights, based on testimonies from 649 defectors, details the execution in South Hwanghae province. The man was found guilty of listening to 70 South Korean songs and watching three films, violating a 2020 law banning 'reactionary ideology and culture'.
The report also describes other crackdowns on South Korean influences, including punishments for brides wearing white dresses, grooms carrying brides, wearing sunglasses, or drinking from wine glasses. Mobile phones are frequently inspected for South Korean spellings, expressions, and slang.
Experts say the ban on K-pop and other cultural imports aims to protect the ideology of absolute loyalty to the Kim dynasty. Despite harsh measures, a recent defector noted that South Korean culture spreads rapidly through informal networks, even with the China border largely sealed during the pandemic.
In recent weeks, North Korea has sent thousands of balloons carrying waste across the border, retaliating against balloons from the South that carry anti-Pyongyang leaflets, dollar bills, and USB sticks with K-pop and K-dramas. A young female defector told reporters that after watching South Korean dramas, many young people question their own lives and express hidden resentment against the regime among trusted circles.
