Abysmal laws in North Korea have acted as a major blockade of North Korean people from learning foreign cultures. K-POP has been rapidly spreading among youths in Pyongyang. However, two teens were sentenced for watching and distributing K-POP music.
North Korea is known for its authoritarian behavior and abysmal laws on its citizens. The North Korean society is even close-knit than the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan some believe. The Kim Jong Un-led authoritative government in Pyongyang passed a new "anti-reactionary thought" law that allows authorities to convict anyone watching foreign, movies, series, or even songs.
Under the abysmal law, two teens were arrested and convicted by North Korean prosecutors for watching K-POP music. In a video footage that has gone viral, two teens can be seen amidst three judges passing their ruling. The hearing also took place publicly in the presence of over a hundred students to ‘send a message’.
The two teens were given a sentence of 12 years of hard labor. However, the video's timeline is not confirmed due to a lack of information from the close-knit North Korean society. In the video, Judges and the victims can be seen wearing masks which means the video could have been taken early last year when North Korea witnessed a massive rise in COVID-19 cases.
North Korean High School Students Sentenced to 12 Years Hard Labor for Watching South Korean Dramas https://t.co/tHnu4HpRvE pic.twitter.com/EUv2N2K0ji
— Nitish Verma (@nitsonnet)North Korea's leadership is often referred to as insecure to the core due to overly authoritative laws. The Kim Jong Un leadership doesn't want the North Korean kids to be influenced by South Korean lifestyle, music, and culture. Similarly, all foreign movies, music, and series are strictly banned. K-POP is one of the most popular cultural exports of South Korea to the world.
There have been multiple instances where youth in North Korea were found watching or listening to K-POP music. The news regarding the conviction of the two teens has gone viral on social media platforms. Many internet users have trolled the North Korean leader for their stance on the matter.