10,000 North Korean Students Turn Themselves In For Watching South Korean Dramas & Listening to K-Pop

By Ammar Haziq  •  06 May 2021 in News

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Over 10,000 North Korean students surrendered themselves to authorities for watching South Korean dramas, movies and listening to K-Pop.

According to Singapore news portal Today, North Korea imposed the “anti-reactionary thought” law in December of last year, making it a serious offence for its citizens to consume South Korean entertainment.

Those who turned themselves in also reportedly handed over 5,000 DVD players and since they admitted their guilt instead of being caught, they hoped for a lighter sentence.

The “anti-reactionary law” is said to be Kim-Jong Un’s call to raise the standard of homegrown (and state-controlled) media and also part of his war on outside influences.

It is said that the law also imposed strict fines and prison sentences for anyone in the country who is caught enjoying South Korean entertainment or copying the way they speak.

It was also reported that the dictator hates the use of words like “oppa” (big brother) and “dong-saeng” (younger sister or brother), slang or terms commonly used by South Koreans.

Some of the punishments for those who break the law include a 15-year sentence in forced labour camps and fines for parents whose child violates the ban.

Anyone caught importing banned material from South Korea faces life imprisonment while those caught importing them from the US or Japan face death.