Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD
Get unlimited access to 9,500+ magazines, newspapers and Premium stories for just
Try GOLD - Free
People 'executed for sharing foreign TV' in North Korea
The Independent
|September 15, 2025
The human rights situation in North Korea has worsened, with people even being executed for distributing foreign movies and shows such as K-dramas, according to a new UN report.
-
The report, authored by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), warned of new laws, policies, and practices implemented by Pyongyang, leading to increased surveillance and control over citizens.
Pyongyang strictly cracks down on Western influence and information flow into the isolated country.
Last year, a 22-year-old citizen was publicly executed for listening to and sharing K-pop music and films, according to South Korea's unification ministry.
More such executions take place regularly but remain obscure to the world outside.
The latest report was compiled based on interviews with 314 witnesses who left North Korea and after consulting with several organisations and experts to evaluate the human rights conditions there since 2014.
This story is from the September 15, 2025 edition of The Independent.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM The Independent
The Independent
A lot more fun than it looks
Mazda's new SUV, the CX-30 Homura, harbours some smart engineering and is full of bold choices
3 mins
September 20, 2025
The Independent
The armed forces can help solve the migrant crisis
It has been clear for some time that dealing with illegal migration is a political imperative.
5 mins
September 20, 2025
The Independent
Zubimendi oiling the cogs in Arsenal's midfield engine
Spain's Martin Zubimendi has emerged as the heir to Rodri for the national team, writes Miguel Delaney, which adds spice to tomorrow's Premier League clash in north London
5 mins
September 20, 2025
The Independent
Sinister ‘black-pilling’ role in Charlie Kirk's murder
Though the suspected assassin's motives are still unknown, bullet casing markings point to a dark movement in meme culture – where young people fantasise about disrupting and destroying the world through chaos.
6 mins
September 20, 2025
The Independent
Is it just luck that my flights are normally on schedule?
Ask Simon Calder
1 mins
September 20, 2025
The Independent
Revealed: the insane rules that drive investment away
Keir Starmer's mixed messaging - and our sloppy legislation - is holding the country back
4 mins
September 20, 2025
The Independent
Not waving but drowning
Alicia Vikander is left adrift in a directionless adaptation of Ibsen's fable 'The Lady from the Sea'
2 mins
September 20, 2025
The Independent
Blow to Reeves as experts warn of 'inevitable' tax rises
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has suffered another blow after unexpectedly high borrowing figures led to warnings that tax rises in November's Budget now look “inevitable”.
2 mins
September 20, 2025
The Independent
Angry late-night hosts call out 'assault' on free speech
US late-night comedians used their Thursday programmes to criticise government censorship following the suspension of their peer Jimmy Kimmel.
3 mins
September 20, 2025
The Independent
'Immense joy' as couple held by Taliban are freed
An elderly British couple who were held by the Taliban for seven months without charge have been freed. Barbie, 76, and Peter Reynolds, 80, have been released from detention in Afghanistan, the Foreign Office has confirmed.
3 mins
September 20, 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size