Daily Star
North Korea has reportedly sentenced a school student to 14 years in prison for watching five minutes of a South Korean film.
The 14-year-old pupil was arrested on November 7 for watching The Uncle, a mystery drama directed by Kim Hyoung-jin.
A source from inside Kim Jong-un‘s rogue country told Daily NK that the student was from Hyesan City’s Elementary and Middle School.
The source confirmed: “They were arrested within five minutes of watching the movie, and they were sentenced to 14 years of hard labour.”
There are also concerns that the student’s parents may be punished due to the “association system” that exists in North Korea.
Under the system, if a “cultural crime occurs due to irresponsible education” those responsible could be fined 200,000 (£167 – high considering the average monthly salary equates to roughly 50p).
However, Hyesan residents reportedly fear that the parents could be sent to a political prison camp after the parents of a different teen – who was caught watching porn – were both ‘relocated to a rural area’ in February.
Regarding the student’s punishment, North Korean laws regarding ideology state that those who have seen or kept South Korean films “for more than five years and less than 15 years” will be punished by “correctional labour”.
It is particularly noteworthy that the law specifies a time frame far longer than the five minutes the student was guilty of.
It is thought that South Korean films are becoming increasingly popular among young people in the North, and that the authorities are applying the laws as strictly as possible to counter this.
The source added: “Recently, the activities of the anti-socialist and non-socialist coalition command team have become more intense than ever before.”
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