North Korea Intensifies Crackdown on South Korean Influence

North Korea is intensifying its crackdown on cultural influences from South Korea, targeting everything from wedding dresses to slang, according to a report by South Korea’s Unification Ministry. The report, based on testimonies from hundreds of defectors, includes the execution of a 22-year-old who admitted to listening to South Korean music and distributing films. This came as the country’s leader Kim Jong Un met with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month.

North Korea dismissed last year’s report as “slander and fabrication” and has yet to comment on the new findings. The report indicates that searches of homes have increased since 2021, with officials looking for signs of foreign culture. These signs include wearing white wedding dresses and grooms lifting brides on their backs. Additionally, people’s phones are being searched for South Korean slang in messages and contacts. The crackdown also targets sunglasses, despite North Korean leader Kim Jong Un frequently wearing them. His father similarly labelled everyday clothing items like jeans as counter-revolutionary.