North Korea has publicly executed a 22-year-old man for listening to and sharing K-pop as part of Pyongyang’s ruthless crackdown on outside information and culture, according to South Korea.
Details of the case were released in the 2024 Report on North Korean Human Rights by South Korea’s unification ministry on Thursday, which included testimonies from 649 North Korean defectors.
According to one of the testimonies from an unnamed source, the young man from South Hwanghae province was publicly executed in 2022 for listening to 70 South Korean songs, watching three films, and distributing them.
3
The 22-year-old North Korean citizen was publicly executed for listening to pop music and watching films.AP
3
The North Korean government has been cracking down on “capitalist” fashion, according to Radio Free Asia.Getty Images
The country’s ban on K-pop was implemented under the former leader, Kim Jong Il, to shield citizens from the “malign influence” of Western culture.
It was further tightened under Jong Il’s son, Kim Jong Un, who adopted a new law for the North in 2020, which prohibits “reactionary ideology and culture.”
The North has rejected criticisms of the government’s grave violations of human rights, calling it a part of a conspiracy to overthrow the leadership.
Details of the case were released in the 2024 Report on North Korean Human Rights by South Korea’s unification ministry on Thursday, which included testimonies from 649 North Korean defectors.
According to one of the testimonies from an unnamed source, the young man from South Hwanghae province was publicly executed in 2022 for listening to 70 South Korean songs, watching three films, and distributing them.
3
The 22-year-old North Korean citizen was publicly executed for listening to pop music and watching films.AP
3
The North Korean government has been cracking down on “capitalist” fashion, according to Radio Free Asia.Getty Images
The country’s ban on K-pop was implemented under the former leader, Kim Jong Il, to shield citizens from the “malign influence” of Western culture.
It was further tightened under Jong Il’s son, Kim Jong Un, who adopted a new law for the North in 2020, which prohibits “reactionary ideology and culture.”
The North has rejected criticisms of the government’s grave violations of human rights, calling it a part of a conspiracy to overthrow the leadership.
North Korea publicly executed 22-year-old man for listening to K-pop
North Korea publicly executed a young man for listening to and sharing K-pop music and films, according to South Korea.
nypost.com