North Korea has reportedly publicly executed at least 7 people for watching K-pop

Kim Jong Un
(Image credit: MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP via Getty Images)

A new report from a human rights group has found North Korea has publicly executed at least seven people for watching or distributing K-pop videos in the last decade, according to The New York Times.

The report was released Wednesday by the Transitional Justice Working Group, and it was based on interviews with almost 700 defectors from North Korea. The report pointed to testimonies of public executions under North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and said that one of the most common offenses was "watching or distributing South Korean videos."

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.