North Koreans caught watching South Korean television shows face public humiliation, years in labour camps or even execution, with the harshest punishments reserved for those too poor to pay bribes, according to new testimonies collected by Amnesty International.
Escapees told Amnesty that the consumption of South Korean dramas and films is widespread but is enforced through an arbitrary and corrupt system in which wealth and political connections determine who is punished – and how severely.
“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.
“The authorities criminalise access to information in violation of international law, then allow officials to profit off those fearing punishment. This is repression layered with corruption, and it most devastates those without wealth or connections.”
Amnesty interviewed 25 North Korean escapees in 2025, most of whom fled between 2019 and 2020.
The testimonies detail severe punishment for accessing foreign media both before and after the introduction of the 2020 Anti-Reactionary Thought and Culture Act, which labels South Korean content “rotten ideology” and mandates five to 15 years of forced labour, or the death penalty in serious cases.
Despite the risks, interviewees reported that South Korean content is commonly smuggled into South Korea on USB drives from China and viewed on “notetels”.
“People are caught for the same act, but punishment depends entirely on money,” said Choi Suvin, who fled in 2019.
“People without money sell their houses to gather around AUD $7,500 to $15,000 to pay to get out of the re-education camps.”
Kim Joonsik stated that he avoided punishment after being caught three times because of family connections.
“Usually when high school students are caught, if their family has money, they just get warnings,” he said.
“I didn’t receive legal punishment because we had connections.”
The 109 Group
Interviewees consistently referenced the “109 Group”, a specialised enforcement unit that conducts warrantless searches and solicits bribes.
One escapee recalled officers saying: “We don’t want to punish you harshly, but we need to bribe our bosses to save our own lives.”
Another described the open secret behind the crackdown: “Workers watch it openly, party officials watch it proudly, security agents watch it secretly, and police watch it safely. Everyone knows everyone watches, including those who do the crackdowns.”
Several interviewees also described being forced to witness public executions, including executions for distributing foreign media, as part of “ideological education”.
“They execute people to brainwash and educate us,” said Choi Suvin.
Amnesty is calling on North Korea to repeal laws criminalising access to information, abolish the death penalty and immediately halt executions, particularly those involving children.
“This government’s fear of information has effectively placed the entire population in an ideological cage,” Brooks said.
“This completely arbitrary system, built on fear and corruption, violates fundamental principles of justice and internationally recognised human rights. It must be dismantled.”
Amnesty said the testimonies align with findings from UN agencies, including the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, but noted it cannot independently verify the full scale of executions due to severe restrictions on access to information.