North Korea has recently intensified its crackdown on the viewing and distribution of foreign media, particularly targeting South Korean content. In a recent case in Kaechon, South Pyongan Province, two individuals received severe sentences for their involvement with South Korean videos.
A source in South Pyongan Province, speaking anonymously for security reasons, revealed on Sunday that two individuals were harshly sentenced earlier this month. A man in his 30s, identified as “A,” received seven years of “reform through labor” for borrowing an SD card containing South Korean films. “B,” a woman in her 50s who lent the card, was sentenced to 15 years.
B’s sentence was notably harsher due to her conviction for both possessing and distributing South Korean media. The pair were arrested in May when police raided A’s home, catching him watching the borrowed content. During questioning, A implicated B, leading to her arrest.
B, known as a “book merchant,” sold notebooks in the market and discreetly dealt in domestic and foreign publications. Responding to demand, she also lent out SD cards with South Korean films and dramas for a fee.
Local residents found A’s seven-year sentence “excessive” for watching only two films. Conversely, some viewed B’s 15-year sentence as lenient, expecting a life sentence given the severity of distribution charges.
North Korea’s law on eradicating reactionary thought and culture, enacted in December 2020, prescribes punishments ranging from five years of reform through labor to life imprisonment for viewing, possessing, importing, or distributing South Korean media.
This incident has heightened caution among Kaechon residents, who now stress the importance of sharing materials only with trusted individuals to avoid severe punishment.
The source noted the irony of the situation, saying, “If they’re going to arrest everyone who has watched South Korean content, they’ll have to detain even the police and security agents enforcing the crackdown.”
Daily NK works with a network of sources living in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous for security reasons.
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