Reuters :
North Korea is imposing stiff fines or prison for anyone caught enjoying South Korean entertainment or copying the way South Koreans speak as leader Kim Jong Un steps up a war on outside influences and calls for better homegrown entertainment.A sweeping new “anti-reactionary thought” law was imposed late last year, and this week new details were reported by Daily NK, a Seoul-based website that reports from sources inside North Korea.Measures include fines for parents whose children violate the bans, up to 15 years in a prison camp for those caught with media from South Korea, and punishments for the production or distribution of pornography, the use of unregistered televisions, radios, computers, foreign cell phones or other electronic devices, Daily NK reported on Monday, citing explanatory material for the law, which it had obtained.Rimjin-gang, a Japan-based magazine that also cultivates sources in North Korea, reported this month that the new law bans speaking or writing in South Korean styles.In what it said were written remarks by Kim, the leader has criticized the common practice in the South of using terms such as “oppa” (older brother) and “dong-saeng” (younger sister, brother) to refer to non-relatives, the site reported.Reuters was unable to independently verify the reports.
Anyone caught importing banned material from South Korea faces a life sentence, while those caught importing large amounts of content from the United States or Japan could face death.
North Korea is imposing stiff fines or prison for anyone caught enjoying South Korean entertainment or copying the way South Koreans speak as leader Kim Jong Un steps up a war on outside influences and calls for better homegrown entertainment.A sweeping new “anti-reactionary thought” law was imposed late last year, and this week new details were reported by Daily NK, a Seoul-based website that reports from sources inside North Korea.Measures include fines for parents whose children violate the bans, up to 15 years in a prison camp for those caught with media from South Korea, and punishments for the production or distribution of pornography, the use of unregistered televisions, radios, computers, foreign cell phones or other electronic devices, Daily NK reported on Monday, citing explanatory material for the law, which it had obtained.Rimjin-gang, a Japan-based magazine that also cultivates sources in North Korea, reported this month that the new law bans speaking or writing in South Korean styles.In what it said were written remarks by Kim, the leader has criticized the common practice in the South of using terms such as “oppa” (older brother) and “dong-saeng” (younger sister, brother) to refer to non-relatives, the site reported.Reuters was unable to independently verify the reports.
Anyone caught importing banned material from South Korea faces a life sentence, while those caught importing large amounts of content from the United States or Japan could face death.
