The North Korean government has allegedly executed up to 50 of their own people over the last year. Some of these people included party officials. The cause of these alleged killings is the indulgence of western culture including films, soap operas, and food.

North Korea has been known to have both harsh limitations on the internet and television but there has been a recent gain in the public consumption of the two with the help from their South Korean neighbors.

As accessibility of movies is difficult due to the internet, South Korean activists have started smuggling satchels with USB sticks filled with both soap operas and movies. Civilians executed have also been known to have dollar bills, anti-regime posters, and noodles.

A man who calls himself ‘Mr. Chung’ was featured in a documentary on the UK’s Channel 4 talking about how he smuggles these possessions into the homes of the North Koreans, including disguising himself as a mushroom importer.

“Men love their action films! I sent them Skyfall recently. The women enjoy watching soap operas and dramas.”

“The more people are exposed to such media the more likely they are to become disillusioned with the regime and start wanting to live differently.”

If found with any “contraband” in their possession, the North Korean people are subject to execution, sentenced to prison camp, or hard labor. These recent purges are not the first of their kind; in 2013 an estimated 80 people were publicly murdered for watching South Korean TV and in September of last year 6 North Korean party officials went missing with no visible clues to where they went.

Despite the recent hype for the new Seth Rogan and James Franco movie, The Interview, there are many documentaries that reveal the corruption that NK is known for. One movie that is both funny and accurate is The Red Chapel, a Danish documentary about a two Danish men, originally from South Korea, trying to perform a comedy act in North Korea but with more and more suggestions coming from the North Korean translators and helpers, they are unable to perform the show they wanted.

More information about the corruption of the North Korean government has been coming into the light in the recent years. Surprisingly, most of the said corruption is hidden from the North Korean people. Many people though have realized and witnessed awful brutalities of the North Korean Government and have chosen to escape to places like South Korea and China.

While there is not much that the rest of the world can do to stop the North Korean Regime, we can give the platform to talk about it and not silence the people who have lived through such horrific tragedies caused by North Korea.