North Korea: Teens Executed for Watching Squid Game, Listening to K-Pop

Shocking revelations from Amnesty International detail public executions in North Korea of citizens—including teenagers—for watching South Korean shows like Squid Game or listening to K-pop, including BTS. Based on testimonies from 25 defectors who fled in 2025—most aged 15–25—the report describes extreme repression and ideological indoctrination. In Yanggang Province, students were executed for streaming Squid Game. Authorities also target K-pop fans; in 2021, teens were punished for listening to BTS. Defectors recount forced attendance at public executions as ‘ideological education.’ Harsher penalties fall on the poor, while wealthier individuals often bribe officials to avoid punishment. As Amnesty’s Sarah Brooks stated: ‘Watching a South Korean show can cost you your life—unless you can pay.’ The regime criminalizes access to information, violating international law while profiting from citizens’ fear.