By F5 Magazine
A rare video from inside North Korea has surfaced, showing two teenagers being publicly sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for watching Korean TV dramas. This glimpse into the reclusive state of Kim Jong Un comes as reports indicate a soaring number of defectors since 2021.
A Glimpse into North Korea’s Reality
In the video, two 16-year-olds dressed in gray jumpsuits stand before hundreds of students in a stadium, being criticized by uniformed officers for not “deeply reflecting on their mistakes.” The severity of the punishment is evident, as the video reveals the handcuffing of the teenagers by the authorities.
Life in North Korea is heavily regulated, and residents are not allowed to leak any evidence of their daily lives to other countries. Travelers are also restricted to designated routes, and photography is severely limited.
Image: The teens, dressed in gray jumpsuits, are handcuffed by authorities as they are sentenced. (Source: Sand Institute Newsletter via Reuters)
This particular video, obtained by NBC News from the South and North Development (SAND) Institute, a think tank that works with defectors, is believed to have been edited in 2022. However, its authenticity and the charges against the teenagers have not been independently verified.
The Threat of South Korean Culture
Choi Kyong-hui, president of the SAND Institute and a North Korean defector herself, believes that this video is being used to threaten North Koreans and discourage them from sharing and watching K-dramas and listening to K-pop.
It is not uncommon for North Korea, known as the most isolated country in the world, to imprison its residents for engaging with South Korean culture. The two Koreas have technically remained at war since 1953, and leaders from both sides have sought reunification for decades.
In the video, a narrator repeatedly refers to South Korea as the “rotten puppet regime’s culture” that has spread even to teenagers. The narrator also discloses the teenagers’ names and home addresses, further emphasizing the severity of their punishment.
Image: In front of an audience, they were sentenced to hard labor for watching South Korean dramas, in undated footage released by the Sand Institute. (Source: Sand Institute Newsletter via Reuters)
North Korean Defectors and Increasing Isolation
North Korean defectors provide valuable insights into the secretive nation, and their numbers have been on the rise. The country’s closure of its borders in 2020 due to the pandemic further isolated it. However, officials announced that tourists from Russia would soon be the first known visitors to enter the country since the lockdown.
According to South Korea’s Unification Ministry, the number of North Korean defectors entering the South last year was 196, triple the number of the previous two years. In 2019, the figure reached 1,029.
The Reactionary Ideology and Culture Rejection Act
The video, officially titled “Let’s Intensify Efforts to Eradicate All Forms of Reactionary and Non-Socialist Phenomena,” reinforces a law that was enacted in 2020. The Reactionary Ideology and Culture Rejection Act allows officials to sentence violators to capital punishment for importing or distributing materials that showcase South Korean culture.
Choi notes the difficulty in determining the exact number of people who have been punished under this law since enforcement is inconsistent. The North Korean government tends to launch campaigns against South Korean culture to divert attention from domestic issues or when relations with South Korea are strained.
Despite the crackdown, Choi believes that Kim Jong Un’s efforts to quell South Korean cultural influence will ultimately fail. She says, “When the government launches a campaign to purge South Korean entertainment, people will stay low. But once it is over, people will go back to watching K-dramas and listening to K-pop.”
Source link: F5mag.com