A North Korean man has been sentenced to death for sneaking a copy of Squid Game into the country after students were caught watching the smuggled copy.
He will be executed by firing squad.
Radio Free Asia reports that the man was accused of bringing digital copies of the series back from China. He allegedly sold them on USB drives.
The student who bought the copy was sentenced to life in prison. Six other students watched the movie and were handed five years hard labor. Some teachers and school staffers have been fired, while some have been sent to work in mines.
“This all started last week when a high school student secretly bought a USB flash drive containing the South Korean drama Squid Game and watched it with one of his best friends in class,” a source in law enforcement in North Hamgyong said according to the outlet.
“The friend told several other students, who became interested, and they shared the flash drive with them. They were caught by the censors in 109 Sangmu, who had received a tipoff.”
The outlet also reports that the rich parents of a student bribed authorities with $3,000. He escaped any punishment.