North Korea has recently intensified television inspections in the border city of Haeju to ensure locals are keeping their channels locked and avoiding South Korean television shows.
“Two young people in Haeju were recently caught watching South Korean shows on their home television. Since then, monitors have been inspecting more homes throughout various parts of South Hwanghae province,” a source in the province told Daily NK on recently.
According to the source, monitors from the anti-socialist and non-socialist behavior group have been making rounds of neighborhood watch units in Haeju and verifying channel locks. This group is responsible for preventing the watching or distribution of foreign media, including South Korean movies and television shows.
On March 24, two people in their 20s were arrested by these monitors.
The two youths had been watching a show on a new television in late February when, out of curiosity, they experimented with the dial and managed to pick up a South Korean channel. For several days afterward, they secretly watched South Korean shows when other family members were away from home.
The youths had intended to keep their activities secret, but one of them mentioned a South Korean show they had watched during a drinking party with friends. One of these friends reported the matter to the anti-socialist and non-socialist group.
As a result, both people were arrested and are currently being held by police for questioning.
“When you purchase a new television in North Korea, you must lock the set so it won’t display South Korean channels. However, South Korean channels are easily accessible in South Hwanghae province, and anyone can tune in by simply deactivating the lock. These two youths apparently did that out of curiosity,” the source explained.
Since the youths were caught watching South Korean television, Haeju authorities have allocated more resources to checking for foreign media consumption and deactivated channel locks.
“The authorities had been inspecting channel locks since early March when they caught some young people watching South Korean television. Since then, anti-socialist and non-socialist monitors have been visiting multiple neighborhood watch units daily to check channel locks and search for flash drives and SD cards,” the source said.
According to a Daily NK report last month that quoted a source inside the country, state security agents in Ungjin county (South Hwanghae province) and Hyesan (Ryanggang province) have been visiting families to ensure their channel locks are activated.
The Haeju youths arrested for watching South Korean television are expected to receive severe punishment.
“I doubt they’ll be let off with a warning. Since the youths were caught during a crackdown, they’ll probably be sent to prison to set an example,” the source said.
According to Article 33 of the Reactionary Ideology and Culture Rejection Law, enacted in December 2020 to block the influx of foreign information, anyone who violates regulations regarding electronic devices or transmission equipment including televisions, radios, and computers can be sentenced to disciplinary labor or, in severe cases, up to five years of hard labor.
“Young people nowadays are bold enough to watch South Korean videos even during a crackdown. They seem determined to watch those videos regardless of how severe the crackdown becomes,” the source concluded.
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