North Korea’s Deadly Crackdown: Executions Surge During COVID-19 Border Closures Over K-Content Consumption
When North Korea sealed its borders in January 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the regime used the pandemic as a pretext to tighten its grip on the population—with deadly consequences. A new report by the Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG), a Seoul-based human rights organization, reveals a sharp increase in public executions during the pandemic, particularly for residents caught consuming South Korean dramas, films, and K-pop. The findings, based on testimonies from defectors and internal North Korean sources, paint a grim picture of a government using fear and violence to enforce ideological control.
Between 2011 and 2024, under the rule of Kim Jong-un, North Korea carried out at least 136 executions, resulting in the deaths of 358 people, according to the TJWG report. The most alarming spike occurred after the border closures, with executions more than doubling in frequency and the number of victims rising by 248%. Even as violent crimes such as murder saw a decline in executions, offenses related to consuming foreign media—particularly South Korean content—surged by 250%. The report highlights how the regime weaponized the pandemic to justify extreme measures, including the introduction of new laws that criminalized exposure to outside culture.
“This is not just about enforcing public health measures—it’s about eliminating any threat to the regime’s ideological control,” said a TJWG spokesperson in the report. “The pandemic provided the perfect cover for the government to escalate its repression, using executions as a tool to instill fear and silence dissent.”
The Pandemic as a Pretext for Repression
North Korea’s response to COVID-19 was among the most extreme in the world. The country shut its borders on January 30, 2020, cutting off nearly all trade, travel, and communication with the outside world. While the regime claimed these measures were necessary to protect public health, human rights groups argue they were also used to justify a broader crackdown on dissent and cultural influence from abroad. The TJWG report found that in the five years before the border closures, North Korea carried out 30 executions. In the five years after, that number jumped to 65—a 117% increase. The number of victims rose even more dramatically, from 44 to 153.
The report identifies a clear shift in the types of crimes punished by execution. Before the pandemic, the majority of executions were for violent crimes such as murder or manslaughter. After the border closures, however, offenses related to consuming foreign media—particularly South Korean content—became the leading cause. The TJWG documented a 250% increase in executions for such offenses, with many victims accused of watching or distributing K-dramas, films, or K-pop. Religious activities and “superstitious” practices were also targeted, though to a lesser extent.
This shift coincided with the introduction of two new laws designed to criminalize exposure to foreign culture. In 2020, North Korea enacted the Reactionary Ideology and Culture Rejection Law, which banned the consumption of foreign media and imposed severe penalties, including execution, for violations. In 2023, the regime followed up with the Pyongyang Cultural Language Protection Law, which further restricted the use of foreign words and cultural influences, particularly those from South Korea. These laws provided the legal framework for the regime to target residents who engaged with outside media, even passively.
Public Executions as a Tool of Fear
The TJWG report details how North Korea’s executions are not just a means of punishment but a deliberate strategy to instill fear in the population. Public executions, often carried out in front of large crowds, are designed to serve as a warning to others. The report identifies 46 execution sites across the country, with a concentration of five locations within a 10-kilometer radius of the Workers’ Party of Korea Central Committee headquarters in Pyongyang, where Kim Jong-un is believed to work. This proximity suggests that the regime views these executions as a direct message to the political elite as well as the general population.
Methods of execution vary, but the report confirms the use of firing squads, hangings, and even blunt-force trauma. In some cases, family members of the condemned are forced to witness the executions, amplifying the psychological impact. The report also notes a 600% increase in the number of people sentenced to death for political crimes during the pandemic, underscoring the regime’s heightened paranoia about ideological threats.
“The regime is using these executions to send a clear message: any deviation from state-approved culture will not be tolerated,” said a North Korean defector quoted in the report. “They seek us to be afraid—not just of the law, but of each other.”
The Human Cost of Cultural Isolation
The crackdown on foreign media reflects North Korea’s long-standing fear of cultural contamination. For decades, the regime has sought to isolate its population from outside influences, viewing exposure to foreign ideas as a direct threat to its authority. However, the pandemic provided an unprecedented opportunity to intensify these efforts. With borders closed and movement restricted, the regime faced little resistance as it expanded its surveillance and punishment of those caught consuming South Korean content.
The consequences have been devastating. The TJWG report includes testimonies from defectors who describe the climate of fear that now permeates North Korean society. One defector recounted how a neighbor was executed for watching a South Korean drama, while another described how entire families were punished for the actions of a single member. The report also highlights the role of informants, who are often rewarded for reporting neighbors or even family members suspected of consuming foreign media.
“The regime has turned ordinary people into enforcers of its own repression,” said a TJWG researcher. “This creates a culture of mistrust, where no one feels safe speaking openly or even watching a foreign film in the privacy of their own home.”
A Global Human Rights Crisis
The findings of the TJWG report have drawn condemnation from human rights organizations and governments around the world. The United Nations has repeatedly called on North Korea to end its use of public executions and to respect international human rights standards. In 2023, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution condemning North Korea’s human rights record, including its use of executions for political and ideological offenses. However, the regime has shown little willingness to change its approach.
For the international community, the challenge lies in addressing these abuses without further isolating North Korea or exacerbating the suffering of its people. Sanctions and diplomatic pressure have had limited success in curbing the regime’s repression, and some experts argue that engagement—rather than isolation—may be the key to encouraging change. However, with Kim Jong-un’s government showing no signs of loosening its grip, the outlook for human rights in North Korea remains bleak.
“This is not just a North Korean issue—it’s a global one,” said a spokesperson for Amnesty International. “The international community must continue to shine a light on these abuses and demand accountability. Silence only emboldens the regime.”
What Happens Next?
The TJWG report is the latest in a series of efforts to document human rights abuses in North Korea. The organization has called on the international community to increase pressure on the regime, including through targeted sanctions and support for defectors and human rights advocates. Meanwhile, North Korea shows no signs of reversing its policies. The border remains largely closed, and the laws criminalizing foreign media consumption remain in place.
The next major checkpoint for international action will likely come later this year, when the UN Human Rights Council is expected to review North Korea’s human rights record as part of its Universal Periodic Review process. Human rights groups are urging member states to use this opportunity to demand concrete changes, including an end to public executions and the repeal of laws that criminalize cultural expression.
For now, the people of North Korea remain trapped in a system where even the act of watching a foreign film can mean death. As the world continues to grapple with the legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic, the crisis in North Korea serves as a stark reminder of how public health measures can be weaponized to justify oppression.
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