South Korean media consumption top reason for execution in North Korea: Report

Kim Jong Un concerned about public discontent after failing to deliver economic prosperity, expert says

Chad O'Carroll | Chaewon Chung December 15, 2021

South Korean media consumption top reason for execution in North Korea: Report

Anete Lusina, Pexels, edited by NK News | BTS at 2019 Seoul Music Awards - Wikimedia Commons/TV10/TenAsia, CC BY 3.0

The plurality of public executions in North Korea under Kim Jong Un have been a consequence of watching or distributing South Korean videos, according to a new research report published on Wednesday.

The investigation by the Seoul-based Transnational Justice Working Group (TJWG) aims to map public execution sites over the past 10 years, and it follows new laws introduced in North Korea in 2020 that increase penalties for consuming or sharing South Korean media.

About the Authors

Chad O'Carroll

Chad O'Carroll is the founder of NK News/NK Pro and related holding company Korea Risk Group. In addition to being the group's CEO, O'Carroll is a frequent writer and commentator about the Koreas, having written about the two nations since 2010. He has visited the DPRK multiple times, worked and lived in Washington, D.C. with a focus on peninsula issues, and lived in the ROK since 2016.

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Chaewon Chung

Chaewon Chung covers U.S., Chinese, and Japanese politics and national security in relation to North Korea. She previously worked at Coda Story covering disinformation and technology with a focus on the East Asia.

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