DVDs and CDs the No.1 Choice

North Korean people are more likely to obtain information about the outside world via DVDs and CDs than other methods, a new study has revealed.

The study by Korea Institute for Defense Analyses interviewed 71 people (38 women, 33 men) who defected from North Korea between 2008 and 2009, finding that 21.8% used DVDs or CDs to obtain information, 18.3% used TV, 17.6% used Chinese people and 15.5% used radio.

However, the percentage that obtained information from defector, South Korean military or U.S.-based radio stations was found to be extremely low.

The 71 were also asked about their preferred type of content, and the study found that 22% looked for news about South Korea, while 19% preferred dramas. Other types of information deemed important were methods of defection, music and information about Kim Jong Il. The most common time for trying to obtain illegal information is between midnight and 5AM, when official efforts to track people acting illegally are at their weakest.

The study also revealed interesting facts about motivations, with 48% citing their inquisitiveness as the main reason for seeking out outside information, but 30.1% also saying that they did it for economic reasons, reflecting the importance of accurate information for all kinds of business activities in the new North Korea. 52% of respondents said that, irrespective of the tool employed, they accessed outside information “often”.

“This means that the demand for economic information helpful to the North Korean people in maintaining their livelihoods for themselves can only increase,” the report’s authors note.