# North korea executes students for watching Squid games

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-executes-students-for-watching-squid-games/1027491>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Tags:** netflix\
**Created:** [February 8, 2026, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-executes-students-for-watching-squid-games/1027491 "2026-02-08T05:29:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2026, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-executes-students-for-watching-squid-games/1027491/41 "2026-03-28T06:09:29Z")

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I don’t see a mention of Squid Game in the Amnesty link.

Also, weasel words. “publicly executed, sent to labor camps or subjected to brutal public humiliatations”

The same is true of the USA: high school students are subjected to public humilation (by their peers) for watching the wrong TV shows. So “death penalty **or** public humilation” is true for the USA.

Not to defend the NorKs: my Grandfather was tasked with identifying the tortured bodies of students he knew, to save their parents from the task. But weasel words and incorrect references don’t help.

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**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2026, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-executes-students-for-watching-squid-games/1027491/42 "2026-03-28T07:15:58Z")

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Umm…..there’s a big difference between a few peers in the classroom teasing one for watching Peaky Blinders, and being marched out in front of an auditorium in front of thousands to kneel and give a public apology or get beaten or something.

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**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2026, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-executes-students-for-watching-squid-games/1027491/43 "2026-03-28T18:40:30Z")

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> [@Melbourne](#):
>
> Also, weasel words. “publicly executed, sent to labor camps or subjected to brutal public humiliatations”

Not really weasel words so much as a description that some kids are getting executed, some are sent to labor camps, and some are subject to public humiliation. Based on what little I know about North Korea I’m going to guess who gets what punishment is caste dependent.

But it’s hard to really understand what the hell is going on in there. I started reading the recommended book upthread, _Nothing to Envy._ It’s really interesting.

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