Won Bin’s ‘The Man From Nowhere’ spelled trouble for a North Korean teenager

Watching a mere five minutes of The Man From Nowhere led to a 14-year-old teenager being sentenced to 14 years in correctional labor in prison.

Daily NK, a dissident news source operating in South Korea reported that the arrest was made under the country’s new Reactionary Ideology and Culture Rejection Law, which includes stringent laws for people who consume South Korean content in any way.

Under current rules, consuming South Korean content can result in 15 years of reformation labor, while distributing it can result in the death penalty.

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A 14-year-old North Korean student sentenced to 14 years in prison for watching ‘The Man From Nowhere’

Recently, Daily NK reported that a source from Yanggang-do revealed information about a student from Hyesan City, North Korea. The middle school student was caught watching Won Bin-starrer The Man From Nowhere on November 7. Under their Reactionary Ideology and Culture Rejection Law, the North Korean government has sentenced the teenager to 14 years of correctional labor in prison.

Even though the child is a juvenile, the North Korean government has been stringent with the punishment. According to Daily NK, it seems like the authorities are implying that they won’t be lenient with their punishments even if the offender is a minor.

North Korea believes the South Korean entertainment zone influences their youth with rebellious ideas and calls it “state propaganda.”

Another point of emphasis in the reports is that the teenager watched the 2010 movie The Man From Nowhere for approximately five minutes. This is another way for the North Korean authorities to pass their message of strict rules.

Meanwhile, citizens are also concerned about the teenager’s parents. As per the law, the parents are supposed to pay a fine but many are worried that they might be banished or be forced to spend their time at a prison camp.

The movie the teenager was caught watching was the action-thriller The Man From Nowhere that was released in 2010. It quickly became the highest-grossing movie of the year.

South Korea's heartthrob Won Bin, who charmed everyone with his incredible talent and visuals, played the lead. Unfortunately, it was also Won Bin's last acting project; he is now only seen in endorsement films.