North Korea continues to enforce draconian laws criminalizing access to foreign media, with punishments ranging from years in labor camps to execution, according to testimonies gathered by Amnesty International. The severity of the penalty, however, is increasingly determined by wealth and connections, revealing a deeply corrupt system where bribery can offer a path to avoiding the harshest consequences.
Amnesty International’s recent report, based on in-depth interviews with 25 North Korean escapees conducted in 2025, details a climate of fear where citizens live under the constant threat of raids and arbitrary detention for consuming South Korean television shows, films and music. Many interviewees reported witnessing public executions as part of their “ideological education” during their school years.
“These testimonies show how North Korea is enforcing dystopian laws that mean watching a South Korean TV show can cost you your life – unless you can afford to pay,” said Sarah Brooks, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director. “The authorities criminalize access to information in violation of international law, then allow officials to profit off those fearing punishment. What we have is repression layered with corruption, and it most devastates those without wealth or connections.”
Laws Criminalizing Freedom of Expression
The testimonies highlight the impact of the 2020 Anti-Reactionary Thought and Culture Act, which explicitly defines South Korean content as “rotten ideology.” This legislation mandates between five and 15 years of forced labor for possessing or watching South Korean dramas, films, or music, and prescribes the death penalty for distributing large amounts of content or organizing group viewings. Despite these severe risks, the consumption of foreign media remains widespread, with USB drives smuggled in from China serving as a primary source for accessing prohibited content on devices known as “notetels” – notebook computers with built-in televisions.
‘People Sell Their Houses to Get Out of Camps’
The report reveals a stark disparity in how the law is applied. Individuals with financial resources are often able to bribe officials to avoid or mitigate punishment, while those without means face the full force of the legal system. Choi Suvin, 39, who left North Korea in 2019, described a common scenario: “People are caught for the same act, but punishment depends entirely on money. People without money sell their houses to gather 5,000 or 10,000 USD to pay to get out of the re-education camps.”
Kim Joonsik, 28, recounted avoiding punishment on three separate occasions before leaving the country in 2019 due to his family’s connections to officials. However, he witnessed friends’ families unable to afford bribes, resulting in years-long sentences in labor camps. In one instance, his own family paid USD 9,000 to secure his sister’s release before formal charges were filed.
‘Everyone Knows Everyone Watches’
North Korea employs a specialized law enforcement unit, known as the “109 Group,” to crack down on foreign media consumption. This unit conducts warrantless searches of homes, streets, bags, and mobile phones. Fifteen interviewees from various regions reported encountering the 109 Group, indicating a nationwide and systematic approach to enforcement.
One interviewee, Kim Gayoung, 32, who left North Korea in June 2020, succinctly captured the pervasive nature of foreign media consumption: “Workers watch it openly, party officials watch it proudly, security agents watch it secretly, and police watch it safely. Everyone knows everyone watches, including those who do the crackdowns.”
The report alleges that security officials actively solicit bribes from those arrested and their families. One escapee quoted members of the 109 Group stating, “We don’t want to punish you harshly, but we need to bribe our bosses to save our own lives.”
However, periodic “intensive crackdown” campaigns ordered by Kim Jong Un in the late 2010s temporarily disrupted this system, making bribes less effective even for the wealthy and well-connected.
‘Tens of Thousands Gathered to Watch Executions’
Public executions are reportedly used to instill fear and enforce compliance. Choi Suvin witnessed an execution in Sinuiju, North Pyongan Province, “in 2017 or 2018” of an individual accused of distributing foreign media, with “tens of thousands of people” forced to attend. Kim Eunju, 40, who fled in 2019, stated, “People were executed for watching or distributing South Korean media. It’s ideological education: if you watch, this happens to you too.”
Schools are also implicated in these practices, with students routinely forced to attend public executions as part of their ideological education. In one case, a firing squad of 10 people fired approximately 30 rounds at a condemned person. Authorities sometimes placed substances in victims’ mouths to prevent them from speaking before execution. Public humiliation sessions were also reported, where high school students were subjected to hours of criticism for watching foreign television.
A System Built on Corruption and Fear
Amnesty International is calling on the North Korean government to repeal laws criminalizing access to information, abolish the death penalty, and end the use of arbitrary detention and discriminatory treatment. The organization also urges the government to protect children from exposure to public executions.
“This government’s fear of information has effectively placed the entire population in an ideological cage, suffocating their access to the views and thoughts of other human beings,” said Sarah Brooks. “This completely arbitrary system, built on fear and corruption, violates fundamental principles of justice and internationally recognized human rights. It must be dismantled so that North Koreans can dare to enjoy the freedoms to which they are entitled.”
Background
Border closures implemented in response to Covid-19 significantly reduced the number of North Koreans escaping the country, with arrivals in South Korea dropping to 224 in 2025. The escape process itself is fraught with risk, and escapees often require time to recover before providing testimony. Amnesty International notes that while it regularly reports on public executions in North Korea, independent verification is hampered by severe restrictions on access to information. The 2020 Anti-Reactionary Thought and Culture Law codified some of these harsh penalties.
The experiences shared by escapees who left before 2020 align with existing laws and policies, as well as findings from UN agencies. Amnesty International was unable to determine which specific laws were used in all cases, and opposes the death penalty unconditionally.
North Korea’s practices violate international human rights law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Systematically exposing children to public executions constitutes grave violations of children’s rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
