North Korean Soldier Arrested For Dancing To BTS
Another North Korean soldier has been arrested for dancing to BTS.
The soldier, a man in his 20s with the surname Kim, was a platoon leader of a patrol company of the Ninth Corps. He was arrested by the corps branch of the Ministry of State Security on November 12.
To boost the morale of the troops, the North Korean military grants soldiers 2 hours of recreation per day after work. During the recreational period, Soldier Kim danced for his fellow soldiers. He was trying to lift the spirits of the soldiers who were suffering from economic troubles caused by the pandemic.
Soldier Kim’s attempts to brighten fellow soldiers’ day led to him being arrested the very next day. He was charged with “imitating a dance by BTS.”
During questioning, Soldier Kim denied knowing how BTS was. He said the dance he had performed for the soldiers was a dance he used to perform in his hometown. The Ministry of State Security said he was lying, and he was sentenced to 3 months in the stockade.
Soldier Kim was well-regarded by the officers and men of his military company, so he avoided a harsher sentence. If he wasn’t so well-respected, he could have faced dishonorable discharge or expulsion from the communist party.
Soldier Kim was not the first North Korean soldier to be arrested for dancing to BTS. In August 2020, 3 North Korean soldiers were arrested for listening and dancing to BTS’s “Blood, Sweat, & Tears.” In August 2021, 3 teenage cadets were arrested for “belting out the lyrics” to “Blood, Sweat, & Tears.”
