North Koreans killed by firing squad for watching South Korean soap operas

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may be using trumped-up charges of watching South Korean television to get rid of political rivals (Picture: Reuters)
A taste for South Korean television can be fatal in Kim Jong-Un’s North Korea – 10 members of his ruling Worker’s Party have been shot this year for watching South Korean soaps, as well as bribery or womanising.
Pirated discs of South Korean television shows are commonly traded in North Korea, where domestic television often involves extremely lengthy and boring gymnastics displays.
The public executions have been part of a reported purge that has seen 50 senior party officials executed this year.
Observers from South Korea’s intelligence agency say that the charge of watching South Korean television is commonly used for trumped-up political murders – and that Mr Kim may be killing off rivals to secure his hold on power.
South Korea’s intelligence agency claims that many of the dead were close to Jang Song-Thaek, Mr Kim’s uncle, who was arrested in December 2013, and executed for crimes against the state.
METRO