10 North Korean Officials Executed For Watching Soap Operas, Whoops!
At least 10 North Korean officials have reportedly been put to death recently for the crime of watching South Korean soap operas. The latest public executions reportedly bring to at least 50 the number of people put to death by the hard-line regime for taking in the unauthorized day-time dramas from south of the DMZ, The Independent reports, quoting South Korea sources familiar with a National Intelligence Service (NIS) briefing.
The British newspaper says:
“The officials, who also faced charges of bribery and womanising, were thought to be close to Kim’s executed uncle, Jang Song-thaek, Yonhap news agency reported.
“All television and media is under strict state control and access to the internet is limited but despite a harsh crackdown, banned foreign shows and films have been gaining popularity in recent years.
“Some are believed to be secretly streamed over the internet, while others are smuggled into the country on DVDs, video cassettes of memory sticks sold on the black market.”
South Korean soap operas are wildly popular throughout Asia, where they are dubbed into local languages. The Wall Street Journal says the dramas “tend to feature outrageous plot lines” and are “characterized by the use of plot twists like birth secrets that connect lovers as blood siblings, or conveniently-timed car accidents that lead to temporary amnesia.” According to Vice News, the source of the information about the latest executions is two South Korean lawmakers who attended closed parliamentary audit of the NIS.
Well then, I guess we weren’t totally right on the rundown yesterday. Not all Asians are silly. Watch a soap opera in North Korea and that’s death. My question though is this. Didn’t these guys know the rules? Like weren’t they told not to watch soap operas? I’m not saying they should be executed for watching television but they sort of knew going into it that what they were doing very well could end up in their death. Kim Jong Un is like the dad on the block growing up who didn’t fuck around. You know which one I’m talking about. Everyone had a friend growing up who’s dad ran the house like a totalitarian government. You knew going into it you had to be on your best behavior. There were other countries/houses that you could get away with basically anything, but when you stepped into Kim Jong Un’s house it was shoes off and sirs and mams all day long. Everyone knows the rules, 1 soap opera, death.
“I found your soap opera DVD, byeeee”
