North Korea is known for its harsh laws, and the government has recently amended its criminal code to expand the death penalty's application from 11 to 16 offenses, which now includes cases where individuals are executed for watching K-dramas. According to a report released by South Korea's Ministry of Justice, the North Korean regime is taking severe measures against the cultural invasion from South Korea, including a high school student who was publicly executed for secretly watching South Korean films and dramas, sparking international outrage.

This report, co-authored by legal scholars and experts, highlights the 'Anti-Reactionary Thought and Culture Disruption Law' enacted in 2020 that primarily targets the younger generation. Those caught watching K-dramas or listening to South Korean pop music can face the death penalty under this legislation. In a 2022 report from Radio Free Asia, three high school students in North Hamgyong Province were publicly executed for watching and distributing South Korean films and dramas.

In addition to cultural control, North Korea has also intensified penalties for drug-related offenses. In December 2023, the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of North Korea officially classified inter-Korean relations as a 'hostile relationship' and revised relevant laws to include provisions primarily related to cultural governance and drug offenses.

South Korean legal experts analyze that this move may be connected to the widespread poppy cultivation and drug manufacturing ordered by Kim Jong-il in the early 1990s to generate foreign currency, leading to an exacerbation of drug abuse issues. The report also reveals that North Korea has introduced penalties for damaging national symbols and incorporated provisions regarding money laundering and financing terrorism, reflecting adjustments made in response to international sanctions.

The South Korean Ministry of Justice noted that this 'North Korean Criminal Law Annotations' is a study completed by South Korean legal scholars and experts, providing a detailed explanation of North Korea's 329 criminal law articles. The findings will serve as a foundation for future legal integration between the North and South, continuing preparations for the rule of law on the Korean Peninsula.