North Korea has reportedly executed citizens accused of watching or sharing foreign television content, including popular South Korean dramas, according to a new United Nations human rights report released on Friday.
The 14-page report, based on accounts from over 300 witnesses and defectors, revealed that surveillance in the country “has grown more pervasive since 2014 with the help of new technologies, while punishments have become harsher — including the introduction of the death penalty for offences such as sharing foreign TV dramas.”
According to Reuters, the report described the restrictions as making North Korea the most repressive nation globally. It also noted that freedoms have continued to erode since 2014.
Head of the U.N. Human Rights Office for North Korea, James Heenan, said during a Geneva briefing that executions for both political and ordinary crimes have increased since the COVID-19 restrictions. He added that an unspecified number of people have already been executed for distributing foreign TV series, including K-Dramas.
The report further stated, “Under laws, policies and practices introduced since 2015, citizens have been subjected to increased surveillance and control in all parts of life.”
Heenan also highlighted forced labour practices, explaining from Seoul that children are sometimes deployed in “shock brigades” to work in dangerous sectors such as mining and construction. “They’re often children from the lower level of society, because they’re the ones who can’t bribe their way out of it, and these shock brigades are engaged in often very hazardous and dangerous work,” he said.
Although the findings pointed out some improvements, including reduced violence by detention guards and new legal provisions for fair trials, they emphasised that serious human rights concerns persist.
North Korea’s missions in Geneva and London did not respond to requests for comment. The DPRK has, however, rejected the U.N. Human Rights Council resolution that authorised the latest investigation.
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