Japan’s Sankei Shimbun reports that tens of thousands of North Korean students have reportedly turned themselves in at police stations to avoid accidents after the North Korean government increased the penalties for watching or distributing South Korean movies in December 2020, emphasizing that the maximum penalty is death.
The Sankei Shimbun quoted the South Korean newspaper Kookmin Ilbo as reporting that tens of thousands of students in one North Korean city turned themselves in at police stations late last year, admitting to having watched “illegal movies” such as Korean dramas and handing over more than 5,000 DVDs used in the “crime”. It was not clear which city was involved. However, it is not clear which city was involved.
Since North Korea considers the viewing of Korean dramas to be “anti-socialist behavior,” the Act on the Exclusion of Reactionary Ideology and Culture was passed on December 4, 2020, making the introduction and distribution of Korean dramas punishable by life imprisonment or the death penalty, and even mere viewing will be punishable by a prison sentence of more than five years and less than 15 years; viewing or introducing cultural works from “enemy countries” such as the U.S. and Japan will be punishable by a prison sentence of more than five years. Those who watch or import cultural works from “enemy countries” such as the U.S. and Japan can be sentenced to 10 years in prison, and those who import large quantities can be sentenced to death.
However, when the North Korean government passed the law, it also stressed that “forgiveness” would be granted if the students surrendered, so it is uncertain whether tens of thousands of students have really surrendered because of this, or whether it is just a propaganda strategy of the North Korean government. Japan’s Fuji News Network (FNN) pointed out that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had stressed in a speech in February that anti-socialist behavior “should be destroyed without mercy” and further tightened control over the people.
Some defectors fleeing North Korea said the main source of “imports” of Korean dramas is mainland China, where locals store illegally downloaded Korean dramas on USB and other storage devices and then “smuggle” them into North Korea. Although North Korea has tightened its control over Korean dramas, it is not clear whether it can win over the enthusiasm of the country’s youth; Tae Yong-ho, a defector diplomat who is currently a member of South Korea’s parliament, has said that he believes 70 to 80 percent of North Korean youth have seen Korean dramas.
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