Impoverished North Koreans who are unable to afford bribes face the harshest punishments if caught watching South Korean TV shows, according to testimonies collected by the nongovernmental organization Amnesty International.

The human rights group reported on Wednesday that the punishment for consuming South Korean dramas varies depending on the amount paid in bribes, citing new testimonies from 25 North Korean defectors who left the country before 2021.

The defectors cited in the report left North Korea before the government began enforcing the Anti-Reactionary Thought and Culture Act, which mandatesat least five years of forced labor if caught watching or