North Korean Youth Risk Harsh Punishment to Access Outside Media

North Korean Youth Risk Harsh Punishment to Access Outside Media
A TV screen shows a file image of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (R) and his daughter, reportedly named Kim Ju Ae, during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, on Feb. 18. 2023. AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon
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Young North Koreans are quietly defying censorship laws by consuming foreign music and other media, offering hope for change in one of the world’s most secretive and repressive nations, emissaries of the South Korean government say.

They shared that assessment during a forum on human rights in North Korea held in Washington on April 20, emphasizing both the bleak picture of life in that country and asking for Western support for young change agents.