Despite these harsh measures, South Korea culture continues to influence North Korea. South Korea has said that in 2022, a 22-year-old man was publicly executed by North Korea for sharing and listening to K-pop music and South Korean films. The information is taken from testimonials of North Korean defectors that were published in a human rights report by the South Korean ministry of unification. This law is seen as a tool to shield citizens from Western influences, which the North Korean government considers detrimental. North Korea has consistently denied accusations of human rights violations, calling them attempts to undermine its leadership.
