North Korea Executes Minors for Watching Squid Game and K-Pop, Amnesty Reports

North Korea Executes Minors for Watching Squid Game and K-Pop, Amnesty Reports

North Korea is reportedly executing schoolchildren for watching South Korean dramas, including Netflix's Squid Game, and listening to K-Pop, according to new testimony shared with Amnesty International. The testimony, gathered from 25 in-depth interviews with North Korean escapees, highlights severe and humiliating punishments, with death penalties for the most extreme cases.

Anti-Reactionary Thought and Culture Act Enforces Harsh Penalties

The 2020 Anti-Reactionary Thought and Culture Act outlaws the consumption of South Korean content, mandating five to 15 years of forced labour or the death penalty for distributing 'large amounts' or organising group viewings. Witnesses described public executions used as 'ideological education' to deter others, with one escapee recalling being taken to executions at 16 or 17.

Bribery System Favours Wealthy Families

The report also reveals a system where wealthy families can bribe officials to avoid harsh penalties, while those without money or connections face the most severe consequences. This disparity underscores the regime's use of fear and corruption to control its population, particularly targeting youth who engage with foreign media.

In full, the findings expose North Korea's brutal crackdown on cultural influences from South Korea, with minors facing execution for simply enjoying popular shows and music, as the regime wages a war on TV and pop music to maintain ideological purity.