North Korea publicly executes 22-year-old man for listening to...

North Korea has executed a 22-year-old man for listening to and sharing K-pop music. This harsh action is part of the government's ongoing crackdown on outside information and culture. The details were revealed in South Korea's 2024 Report on North Korean Human Rights, which includes testimonies from 649 North Korean defectors.

According to one testimony, the young man from South Hwanghae province was executed in public in 2022. He was accused of listening to 70 South Korean songs, watching three films, and distributing them.

North Korea's ban on K-pop started under former leader Kim Jong Il. The aim was to protect citizens from the "malign influence" of Western culture. This ban was made even stricter by his son, Kim Jong Un. In 2020, Kim Jong Un introduced a new law that prohibits "reactionary ideology and culture," according to the New York Post.

North Korea has denied any wrongdoing, dismissing accusations of severe human rights violations as a conspiracy to overthrow the leadership.

According to the report, in North Korea, phones are frequently inspected for contact name spellings, expressions, and slang terms that are perceived to be of South Korean influence.