North Korea has executed citizens for watching or distributing foreign television programs, including popular South Korean dramas, according to a new United Nations human rights report. Based on interviews with over 300 witnesses and escapees, the 14-page review describes a worsening clampdown on personal freedoms since 2014.
It details the use of advanced surveillance technologies and increasingly harsh punishments, including the death penalty, for offenses such as sharing foreign entertainment.
James Heenan, head of the UN human rights office for North Korea, stated that executions for both political and non-political crimes have risen since the implementation of Covid-19 restrictions.
While he did not provide specific figures, he confirmed that individuals have already been executed under new laws for distributing South Korean TV dramas. The report concludes that laws, policies, and practices introduced since 2015 have subjected citizens to heightened surveillance and control in nearly every aspect of life.
The review also documents the use of forced labor, including children who are compelled to work in dangerous conditions as part of so-called “shock brigades” in industries like coal mining and construction.
These children often come from lower social classes, unable to bribe their way out of such assignments, and are exposed to hazardous environments.
Despite these grave findings, the report notes limited improvements, such as a reduction in violence by guards in detention centers and the introduction of new laws that appear to strengthen fair trial guarantees.
North Korea’s diplomatic missions in Geneva and London did not respond to requests for comment. The government has previously rejected the UN Human Rights Council resolution authorizing the review, dismissing it as interference in its internal affairs
