A man in North Korea has reportedly been sentenced to death for smuggling copies of Netflix’s blockbuster series ‘Squid Game’ into the country.
Authorities were led to the man after they caught high school students watching the series. The report states that ‘Squid Game’ was smuggled into the country from China through the use of a USB flash drive.
The series is not available in China but remains popular thanks to piracy websites. The North Korean smuggler faces death by firing squad, while the students involved in bringing ‘Squid Game’ into school are facing prison sentences.
Radio Free Asia reports: “A student who bought a drive received a life sentence, while six others who watched the show have been sentenced to five years hard labor, and teachers and school administrators have been fired and face banishment to work in remote mines.”
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In December 2020, North Korea passed the ‘Elimination of Reactionary Thought and Culture’ act, which is mainly aimed at preventing the spread of media from South Korea. According to widespread reports, in April this year a man was publicly executed for selling drives and CDs containing South Korean material.
‘Squid Game’ is now streaming on Netflix globally. The series is a survival thriller that follows a group of contestants who agree to participate in a mysterious survival game with a grand prize total of nearly $40 million.
