Two North Korean Youth Punished for Watching "Bon Appetit, Your Majesty"

Two young men in North Korea were reportedly arrested and punished for watching South Korean dramas. According to NK Daily, the pair, who hail from Pyongsong in the province of South Pyongan, met in their school days and have been secretly viewing foreign videos together for years through overseas online channels.

The two were apprehended after a third friend they had invited to watch with them reported them to authorities. The third party had felt guilty and feared the sentence he would incur if he was seen as an accomplice in the situation.

As per the article, he helped orchestrate a raid during his friends’ next viewing session. Among the shows they were caught watching was Bon Appetit, Your Majesty, a TVN drama about a modern day chef who unexpectedly time travels to the Joseon era. There, she wins the affection of a tyrant king with her impeccable cooking. The series had reportedly grown in popularity among North Korean youth for its focus on Korean food.

The informant was given leniency and released without consequence while the other two are currently under investigation. As part of the process, their homes were searched and the pair were punished with undisclosed penalties.

An anonymous source told NK Daily that their families are now scared of losing their homes. “[They] could be forcibly relocated from Pyongsong to a remote area with poor living conditions,” said the insider.

The incident is part of North Korea’s severe crackdown on the distribution of South Korean and other foreign media in the country. In 2021, several minors were imprisoned for watching Crash Landing on You. A year later, the nation made headlines again after two teenagers were reportedly executed in public for watching and circulating K-dramas in their area.

North Korea imposed strict laws against foreign media and information in 2020 with the “anti-reactionary thoughts” law to prevent its people from being influenced by outside ideologies. They could also receive stiff fines if they’re heard talking in South Korean slang or speech, all punishable by 15 years of forced labor in a political prison camp.