North Korea executes citizens for watching Squid Game and listening to K-pop: Amnesty
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North Korea is executing citizens, including young people, for watching South Korean television shows such as Squid Game and listening to K-pop, according to a new report by Amnesty International.
The human rights group said testimonies from people who have escaped the country show that authorities publicly execute individuals caught consuming South Korean media.
Amnesty reported that even schoolchildren face severe punishment and that young children are sometimes forced to watch executions as a warning against accessing foreign content.
According to Amnesty, punishment is strongly influenced by wealth and social status. Poorer citizens are more likely to face extreme penalties, including death, while those from wealthy or well connected families may avoid execution by bribing officials.
“These testimonies show how North Korea is enforcing dystopian laws that mean watching a South Korean TV show can cost you your life unless you can afford to pay,” said Sarah Brooks, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director. She said the authorities criminalise access to information in violation of international law while allowing corruption to flourish.
Despite strict controls, South Korean media continues to circulate secretly inside North Korea. Popular dramas such as Crash Landing on You, as well as Squid Game and K-pop music by bands including BTS, are still watched in secret.
In 2021, a student who smuggled copies of Squid Game into North Korea from China was executed by firing squad, according to Radio Free Asia. Others who watched the show were reportedly sentenced to life imprisonment or years of hard labour.
North Korea introduced the Law on the Elimination of Reactionary Thought and Culture in 2020 to block foreign influence.
Amnesty said the law mandates five to 15 years of forced labour for watching or possessing South Korean media and allows the death penalty for distributing large amounts or organising group viewings.