North Korea Increases Executions Over Consumption of Foreign Media

Surge in Capital Punishment

North Korea has increased the use of executions against citizens who consume foreign media, according to a watchdog group. The crackdown specifically targets the consumption of South Korean pop culture, including K-pop music and K-dramas, as well as American action movies.

Reports indicate that capital punishment linked to the consumption of South Korean culture has increased by 250 percent. This trend is attributed to Kim Jong Un's view of such cultural imports as a direct threat to his ideology.

Impact on Elite Youth

Despite the risks, foreign media continues to circulate within the country. An expert told Deutsche Welle that many children of the North Korean elite have become "addicted to smuggled South Korean pop culture and American action movies".

Under the current leadership of Kim Jong Un, the act of watching this smuggled content is considered a high-risk activity that could put a person's life at risk.

Timeline of Executions

According to the watchdog, the frequency of these executions has fluctuated over the last decade. The number of killings reportedly declined between 2015 and 2019, a period coinciding with international pressure following a landmark United Nations inquiry.

However, executions are understood to have soared again starting in 2020. This increase occurred after Pyongyang closed its borders, according to the watchdog. The group further noted that killings reached their height during the early years of Kim Jong Un's dictatorship.