"7 Years in Prison for 7 Hours of South Korean Movies?" Even Soldiers Shed Tears of Blood Over Secret Viewing

A man is writing intensely with his head bowed. While it is difficult to read exactly what he has written, he has densely filled two pages. The man who wrote the letter says:

["As I watched illicit video recordings once or twice, the speech of the puppets gradually filled my head… I truly, deeply regret it."]

This is a segment from ideological education materials for North Korean soldiers, released by Radio Free Asia (RFA). What is referred to as "the speech of the puppets" undoubtedly means the South Korean way of speaking. It appears he was caught watching banned South Korean dramas or movies, and the video continues with stern warnings that no one should ever do what this person did. It stresses that one will inevitably be caught someday.

["Even while knowing that it is an act of aiding the enemy and an act of treason that dances to the tune of the adversaries, watching illicit video recordings of the enemies is the most foolish path of self-destruction in the world, ruining one's own fate..."]

Let us look at another scene. Soldiers and women in civilian clothing stand in front of an auditorium with their heads bowed, and handcuffs are soon placed on their wrists. They also appear to be individuals caught watching or distributing so-called illicit audio and video recordings, and a speaker at the forum even calls for their summary execution.

["In the name of all military unit workers, I strongly urge that these individuals, who are thoroughly steeped in imperialist ideology, culture, and lifestyle, be summarily executed and brought down with a merciless iron hammer."]

It was also reported that soldiers, who are barred from using mobile phones, were caught secretly watching prohibited videos. The narrator in the video stated that those caught watching external videos were sentenced to more than five years of reform through labor, and that they are not eligible for pardons. Reform through labor is similar to imprisonment in the South Korean legal system, though under far harsher conditions. The video was reportedly produced in 2023 and is still used as educational material. In 2020, North Korea enacted the Law on Rejecting Reactionary Ideology and Culture, significantly intensifying penalties against the influx of outside culture. It is presumed that this video was produced as an educational resource in the wake of that legislation.

The fact that North Korea produces and forces people to watch such videos indicates how vigilant it is regarding such trends. Viewed from another angle, it also suggests that the consumption of South Korean dramas and movies has spread widely across the country. The Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU), a state-run research institute, publishes the White Paper on North Korean Human Rights each year. Looking further into its contents, one North Korean defector surveyed stated that the North Korean authorities' crackdown on viewing foreign media had tightened significantly starting around 2019, adding, "For South Korean movies, it's one year of reform through labor per hour watched." The defector noted that someone actually received a seven-year sentence for watching seven hours of South Korean movies. Another defector recounted that in October 2022, a 22-year-old resident in the Yongyon area of South Hwanghae Province was publicly executed for watching and distributing illegal recordings. There are also testimonies that a dedicated unit called Group 109 conducts crackdowns on viewing video materials, frequently raiding and inspecting homes without notice.

However, even if caught watching, not everyone is punished under the same standards. What this means is that outcomes vary completely depending on the extent of bribes or personal connections used. One defector whose son was caught listening to South Korean music in 2018 confessed that paying 15,000 yuan (about 3.15 million won) altered the outcome to a six-month sentence. According to a study by the human rights organization Amnesty International, there was also a case where an individual caught watching South Korean dramas on three separate occasions managed to avoid punishment altogether thanks to family connections.

Fundamentally, North Korean movies and dramas aim to instill ideological education, making them quite unentertaining compared to South Korean dramas or films. It seems natural, in a sense, for North Korean residents to seek out and watch outside content. North Korea also does not seem to believe that punishment alone can resolve this issue entirely. This is because they are attempting various initiatives to divert the public's attention away from foreign material by producing different kinds of content.

One example is the drama "New Spring in Baekhak Plain," which aired on Korean Central Television last year. Set in a rural background, it feels akin to a North Korean version of "Country Diaries," or in contemporary terms, perhaps a North Korean version of "When Life Gives You Tangerines." It features a fair share of romantic storylines between men and women. There are even scenes like this: to provide context, the older woman is the mother of the man the younger woman is dating.

["Just because the two of you like each other doesn't make it work. Excuse me? It seems like you have fallen head over heels for our Yeong-deok. Do you know how I raised our Yeong-deok? So, I hope you carry yourself properly."]

A mother turning away after rejecting her child's partner on the grounds that their family backgrounds do not match—does this scene not feel familiar from K-dramas? It appears North Korea has borrowed that very trope. In other dramas, sensational elements such as murder and adultery have also been woven in. North Korea seems to be striving to present highly stimulating, intense dramas, but there still appears to be a major limitation in closing the gap. Following its rapprochement with Russia, North Korea even broadcast a rock performance by a Russian singer on Korean Central Television for its citizens to watch. This may be rooted in the calculation that bringing in Russian culture is far less threatening than South Korean culture, which shares the same language. It remains to be seen how effective the North Korean authorities' efforts will be as they crack down heavily on South Korean culture while attempting to divert their residents' attention toward domestic content or that of friendly nations.

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