North Korean youths face a year of forced labour in Kim Jong-un's gulag after being caught 'talking like a South Korean'
Four North Korean youths could face a year in brutal forced labour camps after reportedly being arrested for 'talking like South Koreans'.
The group, all in their twenties, were arrested in Chongjin, the country's third largest city, after being reported for mimicking lines from South Korean films.
State security authorities were tipped off by a local residents who had overheard the four.
The young adults are currently being questioned by Chongjin's Ministry of State Security and could be sentenced to a year in Kim Jong-un's cruel labour camps, according to Daily NK.
North Korea has increasingly cracked down on what it claims are South Korean influences in recent years.
Kim Jong-un has previously described K-pop as a 'vicious cancer' while they have targeted other slang words.
A 2020 law made the distribution of South Korean programmes punishable by death, while those watching it could face 15 years in a prison camp.
A year later the brutal regime passed a law, Article 41 of North Korea's Youth Education Guarantee Act, which banned young people from speaking or writing 'in odd speech patterns that are not our own.'
Four North Korean youths could face a year in Kim Jong-un's brutal forced labour camps after reportedly being arrested for 'talking like South Koreans'
Last year, footage emerged of two teenage boys being sentenced to 12 years of hard labour for watching K-dramas
Last year's clip showed the teenagers standing in front of a panel of officials as they were sentenced to 12 years of hard labour
The use of 'non-socialist' language is also prohibited but South Korean slang is thought to be quietly spreading among young people.
'These days, young people are careful to avoid South Korean speech during official activities because they know about the crackdowns, but when they’re with friends, they use it without hesitation—mimicking lines from South Korean movies and shows,' a source told Daily NK.
People's phones and messages are being searched for South Korean slang, according to a report from South Korea's Unification Ministry based on the testimony of hundreds of defectors.
Searches of homes have also increased since 2021, with authorities looking for signs of outside culture.
Meanwhile, last year, footage emerged of two teenage boys being sentenced to 12 years of hard labour for watching K-dramas.
The rare footage showed two 16-year-old boys being handcuffed by uniformed officers in front of hundreds of students at an outdoor stadium at an unknown location.
The youngsters were arrested for not 'deeply reflecting on their mistakes' after they were caught watching South Korean television, which is banned in the North along with K-pop music.
Minors who broke the law would be sent to youth labour camps in the past, and generally the punishment would be for less than five years.
The youngsters were last year arrested for not 'deeply reflecting on their mistakes' after they were caught watching South Korean television
Footage from inside North Korea is rare, with Kim Jong-un forbidding the release of any video
Footage from inside the hermit nation is rare as Kim Jong Un forbids the release of any video and photos of life in the country from being shown to the outside world.
Foreign media, particularly anything deemed to be 'Western', is strictly prohibited in North Korea - which brainwashes its population to support the ruling regime.
But in 2020, North Korea imposed a sweeping 'anti-reactionary thought' law that made enjoying South Korean entertainment punishable by death.
In December 2022, it emerged that two teenagers in North Korea had been executed by firing squad for watching and selling films from the South.
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State security authorities were tipped off by a local residents who had overheard the four. The young adults are currently being questioned by Chongjin's Ministry of State Security and could be sentenced to a year in Kim Jong-un 's cruel labour camps, according to Daily NK.
The use of 'non-socialist' language is also prohibited but South Korean slang is thought to be quietly spreading among young people. 'These days, young people are careful to avoid South Korean speech during official activities because they know about the crackdowns, but when they’re with friends, they use it without hesitation—mimicking lines from South Korean movies and shows,' a source told Daily NK.
Minors who broke the law would be sent to youth labour camps in the past, and generally the punishment would be for less than five years. Footage from inside the hermit nation is rare as Kim Jong Un forbids the release of any video and photos of life in the country from being shown to the outside world.
Foreign media, particularly anything deemed to be 'Western', is strictly prohibited in North Korea - which brainwashes its population to support the ruling regime. But in 2020, North Korea imposed a sweeping 'anti-reactionary thought' law that made enjoying South Korean entertainment punishable by death. In December 2022, it emerged that two teenagers in North Korea had been executed by firing squad for watching and selling films from the South.
North Korea has unexpectedly barred foreign tourists from entering its newly opened holiday resort, just weeks after promoting the seaside retreat as a 'world-class tourist and cultural destination.' The abrupt reversal comes only days after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited the site, where he was hosted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un , who described Lavrov as the resort's 'first foreign guest.'
North Korea's official tourism website, DRP Korea Tour, announced that foreign visitors are 'temporarily not accepted,' at the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Area, without providing a reason for the restriction. The resort, located on the country's east coast near an airport in Kangwon Region, officially opened its doors on June 24 following years of delays caused by international sanctions and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Initially slated to open in April 2019 to coincide with the birthday of North Korea's founding leader Kim Il Sung, the resort was envisioned as a major boost to the nation's struggling tourism industry. North Korean state media has described the development as a 'national treasure-level city' and one of the regime's greatest accomplishments of the year. Stretching along 2.5miles of white-sand coastline, the complex is reportedly capable of accommodating up to 20,000 visitors and features over 40 hotels, guesthouses, and leisure facilities modeled after those found in international beach destinations.
When the resort was first opened, Kim was photographed standing on a sandy beach alongside his daughter and presumed heir Kim Ju Ae. But despite the fanfare surrounding the launch, and initial reports of domestic visitors enjoying the amenities, analysts and satellite imagery suggest the resort may not yet be fully operational. The US-based 38 North programme reported that several buildings, including a major hotel near the Kalmaegi Hotel, appear to be unfinished or inactive, with one rooftop pool still empty and unnamed buildings missing from official maps.
The temporary closure to foreign guests raises questions about the resorts readiness and Pyongyang's strategy for promoting international tourism. Russia remains the only country whose citizens have been permitted entry since North Korea relaxed its pandemic-era border restrictions. A Russian travel agency had reportedly scheduled two additional group tours for August. During Lavrov's visit, Russian media praised the resort's facilities, though a reporter from Kommersant observed that the beach appeared largely deserted.
A separate Russian media report claimed that local North Koreans were used to simulate tourist activity during the visit. Tourism represents a rare and vulnerable source of foreign currency for North Korea, which remains under heavy international sanctions. Experts suggest the current ban on foreign visitors is unlikely to last if Pyogyang hopes to recoup the costs of the high-profile project.
'If foreign tourists aren't allowed to the site, Russian rubles, Chinese yuans and dollars won't come in. Then, North Korea can't break even and it has to shut down the resort,' said Ahn Chan Il, head of the World Institute for North Korean Studies think tank in Seoul. The North Korean government has provided no official explanation for the sudden policy shift. However, some analysts believe the move reflects lingering construction issues or concerns about appearances should foreign visitors witness conditions that fall short of state media's portrayal.
Kim Jong Un (left), his daughter Kim Ju Ae (2nd left) and his wife Ri Sol Ju (3rd left) are seen visiting the Wonsan Kalma coastal tourist area in Kangwon Province, North Korea
Rachel Minyoung Lee, a non-resident fellow at 38 North, said the opening of the Wonsan-Kalma resort serves to support state messaging around Kim Jong Un's 'people-first' policy while balancing his continued focus on military development. 'Wonsan-Kalma is open to just North Koreans for now, but we should not be surprised to see Russians at the resort in the not-too-distant future,' she told CNN. Meanwhile, the regime has unveiled a new railway station at Kalma to support access to the tourist zone, touting its role in providing 'a high level of convenience' for travellers.
Kim Jong Un 's military has 'hugely improved' its nuclear and conventional warfighting abilities after six months of fighting against Ukraine . North Korea has used the conflict as a testing ground to refine its combat strategies, according to an intelligence assessment shared with The Times . Experts believe the country's army now poses a much greater threat to South Korea and the US troops stationed there, having honed the accuracy of its ballistic missiles, developed drone warfare capabilities and accelerated modern arms production.
North Korea's comprehensive military alliance with the Kremlin was secured by Kim Jong-un offering 'unconditional support' to Russia during a visit by Sergey Lavrov , the foreign minister, over the weekend. Lavrov was seen hugging Kim as he thanked him for sending troops to the Ukraine war. According to the assessment prepared by the HUR, Ukraine's military intelligence arm, 'co-operation with Russia has offered North Korea broad opportunities to modernise its armed forces.'
The statement added that North Korea's involvement in the war has allowed it to gain 'real experience in modern warfare, develop nuclear missile capabilities, establish production of advanced weapon systems, strengthen its naval forces, and enhance intelligence-gathering capabilities.' It said the country's cooperation with Russia 'significantly increases the threat to the US and its regional allies - South Korea and Japan.'
The report states it is 'highly likely' that North Korea's readiness to use military force in its foreign policy will increase in the future. It said this is down to the 'lack of a strong response' from from the US and its allies to the country sending troops to fight Ukraine. North Korea first confirmed it has soldiers fighting alongside the Russians in Ukraine in April. At least 9,500 North Korean troops have reportedly been used in 'human wave' attacks on Ukrainian paratroopers in Russia's Kursk region.
Pyongyang will send 1,000 sappers and 5,000 military construction workers to help secure the Kursk after Ukrainian troops were driven back, Sergei Shoigu, secretary of Russia's Security Council, announced last month. About 4,000 North Korean troops have already been killed or wounded in the conflict, the intelligence report says. The HUR expects 30,000 more North Korean troops to be deployed in the coming months.
It comes after Russia's foreign minister was seen hugging Kim Jong Un on Saturday as he expressed his gratitude to the dictator for sending troops to the Ukraine war. Speaking in Wonsan, a glitzy new beach resort in North Korea, Sergey Lavrov also encouraged his fellow Russians to visit the rogue state on holiday. Relations between North Korea and Russia have flourished in recent years with Kim supplying troops and ammunition to Ukraine's frontlines in return for economic and military help.
This has raised concerns in the West that Russia might also send sensitive technologies to North Korea that could increase the danger of its nuclear program. As well as a meeting with Kim, foreign minister Lavrov also held talks today with his North Korean counterpart Choe Son Hui. During their meeting, Choe reiterated that North Korea 'unconditionally' supports Russia's fight against Ukraine.
Lavrov, meanwhile, repeated Russia's gratitude for the contribution that North Korean troops made in efforts to repel a Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk region. Wonsan city, the meeting venue, is where North Korea recently opened a mammoth beach resort that it says can accommodate nearly 20,000 people. In his comments at the start of his meeting with Choe, Lavrov said that 'I am sure that Russian tourists will be increasingly eager to come here.
'We will do everything we can to facilitate this, creating conditions for this, including air travel,' according to the Russian Foreign Ministry. The Wonsan-Kalma tourist zone is at the center of Kim's push to boost tourism as a way to improve his country's troubled economy. However, prospects for the tourist complex aren't clear, as North Korea appears unlikely to fully reopen its borders and embrace Western tourists anytime soon.
Relations between North Korea and Russia have flourished in recent years with Kim Jong Un suppling troops and ammunition to Ukraine's frontlines
North Korea holding a national dog meat cooking competition in Pyongyang, with around 200 chefs from across the country
Each contestant gathered to showcase their skills in preparing the controversial dish known locally as 'sweet meat'
The event, organised by the regime and reported by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), took place at the Food Festival House on Ryomyong Street in the capital and ran for four days
