North Korea: Students Executed and Sent to Labor Camps for Watching 'Squid Game'
February 8, 2026135 AufrufeLesezeit: 2 Minuten
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Amnesty International has revealed alarming cases in North Korea where students have been executed or sent to labor camps for watching South Korean television shows or listening to pop music, including the Netflix series "Squid Game."
This information is based on 25 in-depth interviews conducted in 2025 with North Korean defectors who fled the country between 2012 and 2020, most of whom were aged between 15 and 25 at the time of their escape.
This information is based on 25 in-depth interviews conducted in 2025 with North Korean defectors who fled the country between 2012 and 2020, most of whom were aged between 15 and 25 at the time of their escape.
Severe Punishments and Public Practices
Survivors reported that students were either publicly executed or sent to labor camps in provinces such as Yanggang and North Hamgyong for displaying or distributing banned content.
The organization confirmed that these actions are part of a strict repression campaign under leader Kim Jong-un, who enacted the law against retrogressive thought and culture in 2020, criminalizing any South Korean content as "corrupt ideology that threatens the revolutionary consciousness of the people."
The Law and Its Penalties
The law imposes forced labor sentences ranging from 5 to 15 years for merely watching or possessing films, series, or music from Korea, while penalties for distributing content or organizing mass screenings can lead to execution.
The financial status of the family also plays a crucial role; wealthy families may receive warnings, while poorer families face the harshest penalties.
Survivor Testimonies
Choi Soobin, 39, who fled in 2019, stated, "People sell their homes to gather thousands of dollars to pay for escape from re-education camps."
Kim Jong-sik, 28, noted that he escaped punishment due to his family's influence, while his sister's friends were sent to labor camps for years due to their inability to pay bribes.
Cultural and Humanitarian Suppression
These practices highlight the extent of cultural and intellectual suppression in North Korea and their significant impact on the lives of youth and society under strict media and freedom of expression controls.
