North Koreans killed for watching soaps ©The Daily Telegraph

The ongoing elimination of Jang's allies indicates that Kim is getting rid of potential sources of opposition and building his own power base.
Image by:  REUTERS

As many as 50 senior members of the North Korean government and military have been publicly executed so far this year, according to South Korea's intelligence agency.

The victims of the purges - which the National Intelligence Service believes are continuing - include 10 members of the ruling Workers' Party who were executed by firing squad for bribery, womanising or watching South Korean soap operas.

Many of the officials singled out by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un were reportedly close to Jang Song-thaek, Kim's uncle, who was arrested in December 2013 and executed for a series of crimes against the state.

The ongoing elimination of Jang's allies indicates that Kim is getting rid of potential sources of opposition and building his own power base.

Defectors from North Korea have told The Telegraph that pirated versions of South Korean and Chinese television programmes are widely available in North Korea and are frequently traded on the black market.

The proliferation of cell phones and electronic media has made it impossible for the North Korean government to keep all foreign influences at bay.

Details on the executions were provided by the intelligence service in a report to the South Korean parliament on Tuesday.

The intelligence report also stated that while Kim has reappeared in public after undergoing successful surgery to remove cysts from his ankles, his weight may mean that the complaint will return in the future.