North Korea Executes Citizens for Watching and Sharing Foreign Films, UN Report Finds

North Korea has carried out executions against citizens accused of watching or sharing foreign television programmes, including widely popular South Korean dramas, according to a new United Nations human rights report released on September 12.

The 14-page review, based on more than 300 interviews with witnesses and escapees, details an intensifying crackdown on personal freedoms since 2014. It cites growing use of surveillance technologies and increasingly harsh punishments, including the death penalty, for distributing foreign media.

James Heenan, head of the UN human rights office for North Korea, said during a briefing in Geneva that executions for both political and non-political crimes have risen since the onset of Covid-19 restrictions. Without offering figures, he confirmed that citizens had already been executed under new laws for distributing South Korean dramas.

The report described an environment of pervasive state control, noting that since 2015 “citizens have been subjected to increased surveillance and control in all parts of life.” It follows a landmark 2014 UN investigation that accused Pyongyang of committing crimes against humanity.

The new findings also document widespread forced labour, including the conscription of children into dangerous industries such as coal mining and construction. These so-called “shock brigades,” Heenan explained, are often made up of children from poorer families who cannot afford to avoid such assignments through bribery.

Despite the severity of the report’s conclusions, investigators noted limited signs of improvement, including reduced use of violence in detention centres and new laws that appear to strengthen fair trial guarantees.

North Korea’s diplomatic missions in Geneva and London did not respond to requests for comment. Pyongyang has consistently rejected UN reviews of its human rights record, denouncing them as interference in domestic affairs.