North кσяєα is a single-party state under the leadership of Kim Jong Un and the Kim family. The system is often described by scholars as totalitarian or authoritarian, in which the state exercises strict control over all sectors, including media, education, the economy, and culture. Even citizens’ daily lives are closely tied to a system of social surveillance. These factors have led the country to be widely regarded as one of the most closed-off and repressive societies in the world.
Although such control policies are partly linked to the goal of maintaining political stability and national security, their severity continues to spark controversy within the international community. Notably, according to recent reports from South кσяєαn and international media, North кσяєα has seen a sharp rise in executions, particularly cases related to the consumption of South кσяєαn films and music—surpαѕѕing even serious crimes such as мυя∂єя—suggesting that a “politics of fear” has reached an extreme level.
Specifically, according to Newsis citing The Guardian, the Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG) released a report analyzing the state of capital punishment during Kim Jong-un’s 13 years in power. The report found that in the roughly five years since North кσяєα closed its borders in January 2020, the number of confirmed ∂єαтн sentences and executions increased by 117% compared to the previous period. The total number of people executed or sentenced to ∂єαтн was recorded to have more than tripled.
The most ѕнσ¢кing change lies in the reasons for sentencing. According to TJWG, executions related to watching, importing, or distributing foreign cultural content—particularly South кσяєαn dramas, films, and music—have surged by 250%. This category has even surpαѕѕed мυя∂єя to become the most common reason for capital punishment under Kim Jong-un, while executions for мυя∂єя have declined by 44%.
Even more alarming, Amnesty International has collected witness testimonies confirming that activities such as listening to music by BTS or watching dramas like "Crash Landing on You" or "Squid Game", are considered capital offenses punishable by ∂єαтн in North кσяєα. Recent defectors reported that North кσяєαn authorities are branding the consumption of South кσяєαn culture as a severe crime to create an atmosphere of extreme terror.
Many fans are already aware that relations between North кσяєα and South кσяєα have remained tense for about 75 years. Meanwhile, Kim Jong-un has repeatedly voiced strong criticism of K-pop, viewing it as a harmful influence on domestic youth and a threat to the regime. The government has also enacted measures such as the Pyongyang Cultural Language Protection Act, which imposes harsh penalties—including 5 to 15 years of labor re-education—for those caught watching, listening to, or possessing content like K-pop.
In the context of ongoing conflict and concerns over K-pop overwhelming domestic culture, such policies may not be entirely surprising. However, the possibility of the ∂єαтн penalty for these acts is almost unimaginable and widely seen as extreme!
In recent years, there have also been signs suggesting that the ARMY community in North кσяєα may still exist despite the risks. Most recently, during a pre-save campaign for the album ARIRANG on Spotify and Apple Music, fans were surprised to see data showing a pre-save originating from “North koaєα.” At the time, posts recounting the situation quickly went viral on social media, drawing humorous reactions.
However, in light of recent reports that listening to BTS could lead to execution in the country, many fans have shifted from amusement to concern, expressing hopes that fellow fans across the border remain safe. Some have voiced ѕнσ¢к at North кσяєα’s strict anti–K-pop regulations, commenting: "Let's save these souls. Don't spread", "I wish only the best for North кσяєαn ARMYs", "Don't expose our purple sol∂ιєrs", "Kim Jong-un must be trembling after seeing a whole stadium sing 'Arirang' during 'Body to Body", "No one should be punished for enjoying music. It’s нєαятвяєαкιиg",...
Meanwhile, experts believe that North кσяєαn authorities have used the period of isolation to expand the range of offenses punishable by ∂єαтн, aiming to tighten internal control and suppress any signs of dissent. Some analyses also suggest that this escalation may be linked to efforts to consolidate power and prepare for a potential fourth-generation succession involving Kim Jong-un’s daughter, Kim Ju-ae.
Shin Hee-seok, a legal analyst at TJWG, emphasized, "The international community must exert more effort to stop these crimes against humanity and punish those responsible under international criminal law." TJWG plans to present these findings at the World Congress Against the Death Penalty in Paris, fяαи¢є, this summer.
