Reports indicate that North Korea has carried out public executions of schoolchildren for consuming media deemed illegal by the regime, specifically citing the popular Netflix series “Squid Game” as a trigger for these severe penalties. According to a report by Amnesty International, testimonies from defectors reveal that teenagers, including those still in middle school, have faced death sentences, labor camp terms, or public humiliation for engaging with South Korean television shows and K-Pop music.
The findings are based on 25 detailed interviews conducted in 2025 with North Koreans who fled the country between 2012 and 2020. Many of those interviewed were aged between 15 and 25 at the time of their escape. One defector recounted witnessing executions in Yanggang Province, near the Chinese border, where high school students were reportedly killed for watching “Squid Game.” In a separate instance, Radio Free Asia documented an execution in North Hamgyong Province in 2021 for distributing the same show. “Taken together, these reports from different provinces suggest multiple executions related to the shows,” stated Amnesty International.
Escalation of Crackdowns Under Kim Jong Un
The crackdown on foreign media consumption has intensified under the leadership of Kim Jong Un. His regime has enacted the 2020 Anti-Reactionary Thought and Culture Act, which categorizes South Korean media as “rotten ideology” and prescribes harsh penalties for those caught viewing or possessing it. Individuals found guilty can face forced labor for a period of five to 15 years, while harsher punishments, including execution, are reserved for those who distribute content or organize group viewings.
Interviewees revealed a disturbing reality where punishment can be influenced by financial means. Choi Suvin, who fled North Korea in 2019, stated, “People are caught for the same act, but punishment depends entirely on money.” He noted that some individuals resort to selling their homes to raise $5,000 or $10,000 to escape re-education camps. Another defector, Kim Joonsik, said he managed to avoid punishment for watching South Korean dramas due to family connections, a privilege not extended to everyone. “Usually when high school students are caught, if their family has money, they just get warnings,” he explained.
Conversely, those without financial resources have faced severe repercussions. Kim recounted how three of his sister’s high school friends received lengthy sentences in labor camps during the late 2010s because their families could not afford bribes.
Ideological Education Through Brutality
Several escapees described being forced to attend public executions as part of what authorities labeled “ideological education.” Kim Eunju, who escaped in 2019, shared her experience: “When we were 16, 17, in middle school, they took us to executions and showed us everything.” She described the executions as a grim warning against consuming foreign media, saying, “It’s ideological education: if you watch, this happens to you too.”
Amnesty International reported that a specialized police unit known as the “109 Group” is responsible for conducting warrantless home invasions and searches for foreign media. Fifteen interviewees recounted the unit’s aggressive tactics, with one escapee recalling officers stating, “We don’t want to punish you harshly, but we need to bribe our bosses to save our own lives.”
Despite the dangers, foreign media remains prevalent in North Korea, often smuggled in from China on USB drives. Reports indicate that it is widely consumed across various societal sectors, including by workers, party officials, and even security agents. “Everyone knows everyone watches, including those who do the crackdowns,” one interviewee noted.
The brutal realities described by these escapees align with extensive documentation from South Korean officials, UN investigators, and US-funded broadcasters, all of whom have reported similar incidents of public executions and labor camp sentences for engaging with banned foreign media. In early 2024, footage released by CNN showed two North Korean teenagers sentenced to years of hard labor for watching and distributing South Korean dramas.
A recent UN human rights report warned that the regime increasingly resorts to public executions to instill fear among its citizens, particularly for crimes associated with foreign information consumption. “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.