GETTY Kim Jong-un has tightened his stranglehold on his citizens

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The maximum penalty of a decade is a huge jump from the previous punishment of two-years in jail in what is just the latest attempt to stamp-out Western influence within North Korea’s borders. The new penalty also applies to listening to music that is not North Korean.

GETTY Kim Jong-un has become increasingly hostile to the West

Pyongyang has escalated its rhetoric towards foreign powers by conducting a series of military exercises, including missiles launches, despite widespread international condemnation. The hermit nation has promised to strike the US in a number of propaganda videos in recent months too. Satellite images appear to show that the communist country’s rocket launcher site is ready for new tests at any time with limited warning.

Experts say the Sohae Satellite Launching Station could be the location of four recent ballistic missile launch exercises overseen by Kim Jong-un in person. Satellite images obtained by North Korea think tank 38 North says recent movement at the site could indicate preparations for a new rocket engine test. Experts say four semi-prepared launch positions can be seen at the site with Kim Jong-un’s location during the exercise also pinpointed.

Extraordinary images show Japan's retaliation against North Korea Fri, March 17, 2017 Japan took further steps to defend its people from attack by launching an advanced satellite system to spy on Pyongyang Play slideshow REUTERS 1 of 8 A H-IIA rocket, carrying a government's information gathering radar satellite, lifts off from the launching pad at Tanegashima Space Center on the Japanese southwestern island of Tanegashima, Japan

GETTY The previous maximum sentence was two years