By Ghazali Ibrahim
North Korea is reportedly imposing extreme punishments, including executions, on children and other citizens caught consuming foreign entertainment such as South Korean dramas and K-pop, according to testimony gathered by Amnesty International.
The rights group says defectors described a climate of fear where watching banned content including globally known series like Squid Game can result in detention, forced labour or death.
The findings are based on interviews with escapees who left the country in recent years. Amnesty said those accused of viewing or sharing South Korean media face harsher outcomes if they lack money or powerful connections.
Several witnesses recounted cases in which teenagers and young adults were allegedly executed, particularly in regions close to the Chinese border.
At the centre of the crackdown is the 2020 Anti-Reactionary Thought and Culture Act, which outlaws access to much foreign media. While some offenders may receive long prison terms, distributing the material can attract the death penalty, according to the organisation.
Human rights advocates say the testimonies underline the severity of Pyongyang’s efforts to block outside information and reinforce longstanding international concern about abuses inside the country.
