North Korea: Students Sentenced to Death and Forced Labor for Watching 'Squid Game'

Amnesty International has reported alarming cases in North Korea where students have been executed or sent to forced 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 Koreans who fled the country between 2012 and 2020, most of whom were aged 15 to 25 at the time of their escape.

Severe Sanctions and Public Practices

Survivors reported that students faced public executions or were sent to labor camps in provinces such as Yanggang and North Hamgyong for the dissemination or distribution of prohibited content.
The organization confirmed that these actions are part of a repressive campaign under leader Kim Jong-un, who enacted an anti-ideology law in 2020, criminalizing all South Korean content as a "corrupt ideology threatening the revolutionary sentiment of the people."

Legal Framework and Penalties

The law stipulates forced labor of 5 to 15 years for merely watching or possessing films, series, or music from Korea, while penalties can escalate to the death penalty for distributing content or organizing public screenings.
The financial situation of a family also plays a critical role; wealthier families may receive warnings, while poorer families face the harshest penalties.

Survivor Testimonies

Choi Soufin, 39, who fled the country in 2019, stated, "People sell their homes to gather thousands of dollars to pay for their release from re-education camps."
Kim Jong-sik, 28, noted that he avoided punishment due to his family's influence, while friends of his sister were sent to labor camps for years for failing to pay bribes.

Cultural and Human Repression

These practices highlight the extent of cultural and intellectual repression in North Korea and their significant impact on the lives of youth and society under strict media control and limited freedom of expression.