They talk about executions on market squares, labor camps, brutal humiliations — just because teenagers watched foreign TV shows. The testimonies are based on 25 detailed interviews conducted in 2025 with people who managed to escape from North Korea between 2012 and 2020. Most of them were still teenagers at the time.
“In summary, reports from various provinces indicate several executions related to television programs,” Amnesty writes. Radio Free Asia also documented an execution in 2021 for spreading “Squid Game”. In Netflix's South Korean thriller, people in debt risk their lives by competing in children's games for a huge cash prize. Those who lose are in serious trouble.
The basis of the terror is apparently Kim's 2020 law “on combating reactionary ideas and culture.” South Korean TV series are considered “a corrupt ideology that paralyzes the revolutionary spirit of the nation.” The penalty for viewing is 5 to 15 years of forced labor. Anyone who spreads the content could end up with the death penalty.
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What is particularly brutal is that money and relationships influence the regime's life and death decision. “People are detained for the same crime, but the punishment depends only on the money,” says fugitive Choi Suvin, 39, as quoted by Amnesty. Whoever can pay has the opportunity to buy his life. — People with no money are selling their houses to raise $5,000 or $10,000. hole. [ok. 35 tys. zł] and buy their way out of re-education camps.
Typically, students who are caught only receive a warning if their families have money. I was not held criminally liable because we had contacts
— reports North Korean refugee, 28-year-old Kim Joonsik.
What's worse, children are forced to watch the murders of others. — When we were 16 or 17 years old and in junior high school, we were taken to executions, says another fugitive, Kim Eunju, now 40.
A secret police unit – “Group 109” – is to search apartments without a warrant. Yet almost everyone watches “Squid Game,” as they say: workers, party officials, and even security service officials. – Everyone knows that everyone is watching it, even those who carry out the raids – says one of Bild's interlocutors anonymously.
Amnesty warns: “These testimonies demonstrate how North Korea enforces dystopian laws that mean watching a South Korean TV program can cost your life – unless you can afford to pay the appropriate fee.”
YouTube star reveals: this is how drastically North Korea censors the Internet
It has long been known that North Korea is one of the most isolated and restrictive countries in the world. Few eyewitness accounts make it out of the country, and the daily lives of its citizens remain largely unknown.
Mrwhosetheboss [30-letni Arun Maini]British YouTuber, known primarily for technology-related content [na platformie wideo obserwują go ok. 22 mln użytkowników], obtained two smartphones purchased in North Korea. These devices provide a rare, unvarnished glimpse into a digital world that appears to be completely controlled by the state.
Smartphones as tools of state control
In the video, the YouTuber shows an inexpensive device (“Han 701”) and a higher-end smartphone (Sam Taesong 8). Both devices run on heavily modified versions of Android.
Even while writing, you can see how strict censorship is. Words like “South Korea” are automatically corrected to “puppet state.” Terms such as “Republic of Korea” are replaced with asterisks. Some expressions from South Korean pop culture are also blocked. The system automatically replaces the word “oppa”, commonly used in South Korea [“starszy brat” lub “przyjaciel”]to “companion” — along with a warning that the term can only be used to refer to siblings.
Controlled intranet and manipulated applications
The devices do not have access to the global Internet. Instead, there is a state-controlled network called “Mirae” that can only be used by providing personal information and using an authorized SIM card. The goal is to protect the population from foreign influence.
Many applications are copies of well-known programs or have been significantly modified. For example, a soccer match shows international teams, but South Korean players are completely removed. Movies mainly come from Russia or India, and Western productions are completely absent. Apps must be activated in the state-run store and regularly renewed – many require a subscription.
In addition, “Red Flag” monitoring software has been integrated into the system. Foreign files are deleted, screenshots are secretly taken, and user activities are constantly monitored. Every aspect of devices can therefore be used to control opinions, behavior and perceptions.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
