Skip to content

A Japanese Fan's Hilariously Apt Description Of Texas Is Going Viral—And We're Cackling

Search AI Powered
Human content, AI powered search.

Latest Stories

North Korean Man Reportedly Sentenced To Death For Smuggling 'Squid Game' Into The Country

North Korean Man Reportedly Sentenced To Death For Smuggling 'Squid Game' Into The Country
Squid Game/Netflix
Zoë Vendetti
By Zoë VendettiNov 29, 2021
Zoë Vendetti
Zoë is a 24 year old Account Executive currently living in Brooklyn, New York. She attended Hofstra University where she studied public relations and minored in dance, religion, anthropology, political science and integrated marketing. Her favorite pastimes include trying out all the local coffee shops in her area and listening to music. Zoë is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Social Justice and Human Rights with a concentration in immigration policy and reform from Arizona State University. Zoë hopes to one day work for the United Nations as an immigration advocate.
See Full Bio

They say life imitates art, but for several people in North Korea that statement is hitting a little too close to home.

A North Korean man has reportedly been sentenced to death by firing squad for smuggling a copy of the wildly successful Netflix series Squid Game into the country.

The North Korean government has neither confirmed nor denied the report.



While it may not seem like an infraction commensurate with the death penalty, in North Korea the act was in direct violation of the country's recently passed Elimination of Reactionary Thought and Culture law which strictly prohibits content of this kind being brought into the country with the intent of distribution.



The smuggler, whose identity remains undisclosed, was discovered selling USB flash drives containing copies of the dystopian South Korean thriller to high school students.

The fallout of this incident is being felt by more than just the man in question and the students who purchased the USBs. Several teachers were implicated and are facing severe consequences too.

A source close to the incident told Radio Free Asia:

"The government is taking this incident very seriously, saying that the students' education was being neglected. The Central Committee dismissed the school principal, their youth secretary, and their homeroom teacher."
"They were also expelled from the [communist] party. It is certain that they will be sent to toil in coal mines or exiled to rural parts of the country, so other school teachers are all worrying that it could happen to them too if one of their students is also caught up in the investigation."

In an ironic twist, it was also reported one teen was absolved of all charges thanks to a likely substantial bribe paid by their wealthy parents.






North Korea has often been criticized for its handling of crimes that, in other countries, would amount to nothing more than petty misdemeanor offenses. With the country's heavy emphasis on maintaining a high level of censorship, the report came as no surprise to many.

But others questioned why a crime associated with a show that features adults strapped for cash fighting to the death in children's games for the amusement of the idle wealthy would be a cause for concern to the North Korean government.

They also questioned the sources of the reports.




Sources also reported the government launched an investigation to identify exactly how the man was able to smuggle copies of the show into the country despite strict border restrictions.

The entire ordeal is shaping up to be worthy of its own show on Netflix.

Latest News

Zendaya
Celebrities

Zendaya Sparks 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' Fan Theories After Potential Clue Is Spotted On Her Red Carpet Dress

Screenshots from @jilliangerhardt's TikTok video
Trending

Woman Sparks Debate With Video Explaining Why A 'Handy' Husband Is Way Better Than A Rich One

Screenshots of workers pouring hydrogen peroxide into the Reflecting Pool
Donald Trump

New Aerial Images Show Results Of Workers Dumping Hydrogen Peroxide Into Reflecting Pool—And It's A Big Yikes

Screenshots from @nataleeeking's TikTok video
Trending

Paddleboarding Family Rescues Teen Whose Friends Pressured Him To Swim Despite Knowing He Couldn't—And People Are Furious

More from Trending

Screenshots from @realprogressive11's TikTok video
@realprogressive11/TikTok

Rural Michigan Woman Speaks Out About 'Dystopian' Grocery Costs In Eye-Opening Video

TikToker @realprogressive11, a rural Michigan resident, is tired of dancing around the subject and is ready to call it like it is: according to her, grocery shopping has become a "dystopian" experience.

And based on other TikTokers' experiences, this isn't specific to Michigan.

Keep ReadingShow less
Andrew Rannells Just Dished On How Dating Anderson Cooper At 25 Directly Inspired 'Girls' Storyline—And Our Jaws Are On The Floor
Daily Beast/Obsessed; Gary Gershoff/Getty Images

Andrew Rannells Just Dished On How Dating Anderson Cooper At 25 Directly Inspired 'Girls' Storyline—And Our Jaws Are On The Floor

After years of speculation, the tea has finally been spilled about who inspired Elijah Krantz and Dill Harcourt's relationship.

In case you missed it, the hit TV show Girls aired for six seasons from 2012 to 2017, and followed the lives of four young women making their way through early romance and career moves in New York City.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tom Holland and Zendaya
Pablo Cuadra/WireImage/Getty Images

Tom Holland Just Confirmed The Months-Long Rumors That He And Zendaya Got Married—And His Comments Have Fans Swooning

American actor and singer Zendaya and British actor and dancer Tom Holland first met in 2016 during the screen test and casting process for their roles in the 2017 Marvel made/Sony approved movie Spider-Man: Homecoming. The pair, both born in 1996, were successful child actors transitioning into adults, but still playing teens on camera.

They became fast friends, but didn't begin dating until sometime later, even if fans thought the attraction happened much sooner. They finally confirmed their relationship in 2021.

Keep ReadingShow less
Billy Porter; Elisabeth Hasselbeck
CBS Mornings

Elisabeth Hasselbeck Is Getting Some Major Side-Eye After Making Bizarre Dig At Billy Porter During Interview

Conservative TV host Elisabeth Hasselbeck first gained public notice in 2001 as a contestant on the second season of the CBS reality show Survivor, then she furthered her fame by marrying NFL player Tim Hasselbeck the following year.

After that, she became the conservative voice on The View for a decade (2003-2013), frequently clashing with her co-hosts and garnering animosity from viewers. Portraying herself as a trad-wife while in reality being a working mother, her next stint was on Fox News' Fox & Friends from 2013 to 2015 before being replaced by Sean Hannity paramour Ainsley Earhardt.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of JD Vance and Whoopi Goldberg
Fox News; The View

JD Vance Ripped After Running To Fox News To Whine About Whoopi Goldberg Supposedly Calling Him 'Racist' On 'The View'

Vice President JD Vance was criticized after he complained on Fox News that The View moderator Whoopi Goldberg had called him a "racist" during his appearance on the program.

While on The View, Vance sidestepped a question from Goldberg about concerns that the Trump administration was marginalizing Black history and communities.

Keep ReadingShow less