JAKARTA - Two North Korean teenagers were executed by firing squads for watching and distributing films from South Korea.
The two teenagers, estimated to be between the ages of 16-17, were shot at the airfield, witnessed by a frightened resident in Hyesan City last October, as reported by the Daily Mail December 6.
Two sources who were forced to witness the execution confirmed what happened to Radio Free Asia (RFA).
A source said: " Hyesan residents gathered in groups on the runway. Authorities put teenage students in public, sentenced them to death and shot them immediately."
North Korea is known to strictly prohibit the entry of various foreign media materials, especially those deemed 'Western', because they are considered to be washing the brains of their residents.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un views South Korea as a puppet American country, and is sensitive to any media crossing the border from the country.
However, despite strict controls, such items are often smuggled into the country via USB drives or memory cards.
This is usually carried past the border from China and then barred among North Koreans. The ruling Pyongyang regime uses informants recruited from the general public to arrest those selling the drive.
In the case of the two teenagers, one of these spies reported them for selling the drive containing these programs in the local market.
Such executions are rare in North Korea, but have never been heard of, and are usually used to scare people into obeying when authorities worry about breaking the rules.
North Korean youths caught watching foreign films will be sent to disciplinary work centers, said a source at Hyesan.
The second breach means being sent to a five-year prison camp with their parents, as punishment for failing to discipline their children.
But anyone caught distributing or selling South Korean films could face the death penalty, even if they were minors, the source added.
The executions came about a week after authorities held a public meeting to tell them they would be tough on crimes involving foreign media, especially from South Korea that are more prosperous and democratic, citing RFA.
A number of RFA reports over the past few years have documented the authorities' efforts to combat it by randomly confiscating smartphones and giving harsh penalties to violators.
News of the execution had spread and frightened people, a resident of North Hamgyong's neighboring province told RFA without naming to speak freely.
"Despite intensive control and crackdowns to eradicate reactionary thinking and culture, young people are still caught secretly watching South Korean films. So, now authorities are starting terror through public executions," said a second source.
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