North Korea executes two teenagers by firing squad for watching South Korean films
- Boys between the ages of 16 and 17 were shot dead in Hyesan city in October
- Pair has been accused of selling South Korean films on pocket USB drives
- They were shot dead along with a boy accused of murdering his stepmother with terrified locals forced to watch, saying the crimes were “equally evil”.
Two teenagers in North Korea were killed by a firing squad for watching and selling films from neighboring South Korea.
The couple, both boys believed to be between 16 and 17, were shot dead at an airfield in October in front of terrified locals in the city of Hyesan, on the border with China – although news of their deaths only surfaced last week.
A third boy of the same age was executed with them for murdering his stepmother, with locals saying the crimes were “equally evil”.
Two boys, aged between 16 and 17, were marched to an airfield in the city of Hyesan and shot dead in front of local residents in October for selling USB sticks containing South Korean films
Two sources who were forced to watch the executions confirmed to Radio Free Asia what had happened.
One said: “Hyesan residents gathered in groups on the airstrip.
“The authorities brought the teenage students before the public, sentenced them to death and immediately shot them.”
Foreign media, particularly anything deemed “Western,” is strictly banned in North Korea – which brainwashes its population to support the ruling regime.
Kim Jong-un views South Korea as an American puppet state and is sensitive to any of his media crossing the border.
But despite strict controls, such items are often smuggled into the country on USB sticks or SD cards.
These are typically brought across the border from China and then traded among North Koreans.
Kim Jong-un’s regime strictly bans all foreign media deemed “Western,” including South Korean films and films, as Seoul is viewed as an American puppet
The ruling communist regime uses informants recruited from the general population to catch those selling the drives.
In the case of the two teenagers, one of these spies reported them for selling USB sticks with the programs on the local marketplace.
Such executions are rare but not unheard of in North Korea, and are usually used to frighten people into obedience when the authorities are afraid of rule-breaking.
North Korean youths caught watching foreign films were at risk of being taken to a disciplinary labor center, a source in Hyesan said.
A second offense means they are sent to a prison camp with their parents for five years as punishment for not disciplining their children.
But anyone caught distributing or selling South Korean films could face the death penalty, even if they are minors, the source added.