Two teenage boys sentenced to 12 years of labor in North Korea for watching a Korean TV series

"We have obtained footage of two teenage boys in North Korea being sentenced to 12 years' labor in prison for ``watching a Korean TV series,'' the BBC reported on the 18th (local time).
The BBC said: ``The footage, believed to have been filmed in 2002, shows two 16-year-old boys handcuffed and standing in front of hundreds of students in an outdoor sports field.'' police
There were also scenes where officials scolded them for not showing deep remorse." The BBC added, ``The video shows ``Korean culture has spread to teenagers and they are ruining their future.''
'' was explained.'' This video was provided by the SAND Institute, a South Korean think tank that works with North Korean defectors.
According to the BBC, minors used to receive an average of less than five years in prison in such cases, but in 2020, viewing or distributing South Korean entertainment can result in the death penalty.
It is said that a law has been enacted to punish One North Korean defector told the BBC, ``Even if you watch an American TV series and get caught, you may be able to get away with it by offering bribes, but if you watch a Korean TV series, you'll get shot.''
He said, ``The Korean TV series is a medicine that helps me forget the painful reality.'' Another North Korean defector in his 20s said, ``In North Korea, we are taught that ``South Korea is much poorer than us,'' but I don't like Korean TV Series.
It's a completely different world. It appears that the North Korean authorities are wary of this." The BBC said, ``South Korea was in the 2000s.
While promoting the “sunshine policy,” North Korean residents had access to South Korean entertainment.
"The South Korean government discontinued the Sunshine Policy in 2010, stating that it did not bring about any positive changes in North Korea's behavior," but South Korean entertainment continues to be exported to North Korea through China.
He went into Korea."