1000 North Koreans jailed for watching South Korean TV shows, films

SEOUL - Over 1000 North Koreans have reportedly been jailed for secretly watching South Korean television shows and films, a Seoul-based defector group has said.

North Korea Intellectuals Solidarity (NKIS) said that the people are in jail in the northwestern city of Kaechon for the offense, News.com.au reports.

Access to foreign pop culture is strictly banned for ordinary people in North Korea, with violators facing hefty fines or jail terms.

However, a growing stream of pirated DVDs and music CDs smuggled from China has made South Korea’s pop culture increasingly popular.

“The prison official said it was the first time the number of people jailed solely for watching the South’s TV dramas has gone over 1,000. Now, the prison is overcrowded with such prisoners,” the group said.he group also claimed that Pyongyang had created a special police unit in January to crack down on those with “rotten spirit”.

“Those who are caught are usually jailed for between two and five years and face harsher treatment in prison than other offenders,” it said. (ANI)