17 North Korean Teenagers Sentenced For Watching Videos And Using South Korean Gaul Language

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (Source: KCNA)

JAKARTA - More than 17 North Korean youths have been convicted of watching unlicensed videos and using South Korean slang throughout 2023, as Pyongyang's government tightens controls on almost every aspect of life, according to a report published Thursday in the United States.

In its annual World Report, New York-based Human Rights Watch (HWR), the United States said North Korea "has remained one of the most repressive countries in the world" as Kim Jong-un's government's actions continue to torture, execute and other measures to tighten grip.

Citing the escape of North Koreans speaking with their relatives there, Elaine Pearson, director of HRW Asia, said 17 North Korean youths were on trial last year for watching unauthorized videos, most likely from South Korea and using South Korean style.

"Leaders of the group were sentenced to 10 years of forced labor," Pearson explained, as reported by The Korea Times on January 12.

"In another case, young athletes were sentenced to 3-5 years for using the South Korean vocabulary."

North Korean authorities also approved the use of public courts and executions to "building up society," he added. It is known, watching any media content made abroad is illegal. However, defectors say the punishment is very severe for those who own or distribute content from South Korea.

"Over the past year, we have seen the North Korean regime strengthen its controls, this country has become more repressive and even more isolated since this pandemic," Pearson said.

North Korea is known for its extreme isolation, making its citizens want to cross the border. However, the risk of crossing the border is now higher than before.

"The government is implementing a shooting policy on the spot for anyone who reaches the North border, which has been in effect since August 2020. Another violation of the quarantine law can be subject to severe punishment, even death," Pearson explained.

This finding is consistent with a white paper released earlier this week by the Korea Institute for National Unification. Citing an eyewitness who fled North Korea last year, experts say in the paper, someone was publicly executed for violating pandemic rules.

The World Report shows that a combination of the global health crisis and expansion of state interventions exacerbate food shortages and other severe daily needs in North Korea.

"This has had a negative impact on the ability of North Koreans to carry out basic economic activities, in general, worsening their right to proper food, health and living standards," the report said.