North Korean Teenagers Sentenced to 12 Years of Hard Labor for Watching K-Drama

Teenage boys are being handcuffed for watching a Korean drama. / BBC News screen capture

North Korean authorities sentenced two teenage boys for watching Korean dramas, according to footage released by foreign media.

The BBC reported on the 18th (local time) that it had obtained rare footage of two teenage boys being sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for watching a Korean drama in North Korea.

The BBC described footage, apparently from 2002, showing two 16-year-old boys handcuffed and positioned in front of a large gathering of students in an outdoor stadium.

Additionally, the broadcaster noted that the footage includes scenes of police officers chastising the boys for their lack of profound reflection on their actions.

According to the BBC, the footage includes commentary saying that South Korean culture has spread even to teenagers in North Korea, and they are ruining their future.

This footage was reportedly provided by the South and North Development (SAND), a research institute that works with defectors from the North.

Photo: BBC news screen capture

According to the BBC, in the past, minors who broke the law were punished under five years on average.

However, the situation has changed since 2020, when North Korea enacted a law that imposes the death penalty for watching or distributing South Korean entertainment.

One defector told the BBC, “If you get caught watching an American drama, you can get away with a bribe, but if you watch a Korean drama, you get shot,” adding, “South Korean dramas are a ‘drug’ that helps them forget their harsh reality.”

A defector in his 20s suggested that there is a stark contrast between the depiction of South Korea in North Korean education and its portrayal in South Korean dramas. This discrepancy, he believes, is a cause of concern for North Korean authorities, as it challenges the narrative taught within the country.

According to the BBC, the era known as South Korea’s “Sunshine Policy” in the 2000s marked the beginning of North Koreans’ exposure to South Korean entertainment. Despite the South Korean government ceasing this policy in 2010, citing its ineffectiveness in altering North Korea’s stance, the influx of South Korean entertainment into North Korea persisted, primarily through channels in China.