N. Korean teens sentenced to 12 years hard labour for watching K-pop

SEOUL: Video footage released by an organization collaborating with North Korean defectors reveals the sentencing of two teenagers to 12 years of hard labour by North Korean authorities for the offence of watching K-pop.

The footage, featuring two 16-year-olds in Pyongyang convicted of viewing South Korean movies and music videos, was disclosed by the South and North Development (SAND) Institute. Reuters could not independently verify the footage initially reported by the BBC.

North Korea has consistently imposed severe sentences on individuals caught enjoying South Korean entertainment or adopting the South Korean language, intensifying efforts against external influences following the enactment of a comprehensive “anti-reactionary thought” law in 2020.

Public trial

The video, produced by North Korean authorities, depicts a large public trial where the two students in grey scrubs are handcuffed, observed by approximately 1,000 students in an amphitheatre.

All individuals, including the two 16-year-olds, wore face masks, indicating that the recording likely occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the video, the students were sentenced for watching and disseminating South Korean movies, music, and music videos over a three-month period.

The narrator attributes their actions to being enticed by foreign culture, ruining their lives.

The footage also includes scenes of young girls being handcuffed and Pyongyang women adopting South Korean fashion and hairstyles.

Heavy punishment as deterrent

The president of SAND, Choi Kyong-hui, a North Korean defector, noted that the heavy punishment suggests it may be intended as a deterrent across North Korea.

She speculates that the prevalence of South Korean culture in North Korean society may be the motivation behind such punitive measures.

Choi Kyong-hui also mentioned her belief that the video was edited around 2022.

She highlighted concerns for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, suggesting that the changing mindset of Millennials and Gen Z individuals poses a challenge to the established order, and efforts may be underway to revert to traditional North Korean values.