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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.
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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.
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