The KBS drama “Jeongdojeon” is the latest South Korean
television program to garner a following inside North Korea, Daily NK has
learned.
A
source in the South Hamkyung Province reported the news on July 3rd, explaining, “These
days a lot of people are trying to get their hands on discs of that series.” Moreover, she went on, “They’re
not just watching it for fun either; it offers a fresh awareness of
historical events.”
Watching
South Korean media is part of daily life for a lot of people in modern North
Korea. Viewer preference leans toward historical dramas like “Jeongdojeon” because
they do not contain loanwords from other languages, which North Koreans may
not know, and also because the scripted dialogue tends to be moderately paced.
Although
dramas dealing with more contemporary themes satisfy viewers’
latent curiosity about modern South Korean family structures and economic
development south of the 38th parallel, it is the conflicts and tragedies that
arise in historical dramas that engender greater empathy. And while other historical epics such as MBC’s “Daejanggeum” and KBS’ “Taejowanggeon” are also well known to North
Korean viewers, the source said that viewers’ responses to “Jeongdojeon” have been different.
She
explained, “Here in Chosun people have always been under the impression that Jeong
Do Jeon was a lone traitor against the Goryeo Dynasty, but elements of this
drama have piqued our curiosity as to the actual story behind [first King of
the Chosun Dynasty] Lee Sung Gye’s rise to power.”
In North Korea, a
distorted history of the Chosun Dynasty is taught from elementary school.
Students are taught that Lee was actually a “traitor” who wrecked a campaign to invade
present-day Liaoning Province and then overthrew the Goryeo Dynasty (which
preceded the Chosun Dynasty).
As a result, although
the palace in which Lee grew up and spent his last days after abdication still
exists in South Hamkyung Province, it is not protected as a cultural landmark.
In contrast, Sonjuk Bridge in Kaesong, where famed Confucian scholar and statesman Jeong Mong Ju was killed by Lee’s son Lee Bang Won, the second king of the Chosun Dynasty, is a registered national monument and major
tourist attraction.
It is alleged that South
Korean historical dramas, which tend to focus heavily on the nature of power, power struggles, conspiracy, and
state-society interactions, are also helping to provide North Korean viewers with
revised conceptions of leader, party and people.
“Conversations naturally
lead to Choe Ryong Hae and Hwang Pyong So,” the source alleged. “And then they
wonder if there is anyone like Jeong in South Korea.”
“When it comes up, people who have watched it react and those who haven’t, don’t; because
they have no idea what the others are talking about. Those who have
watched it can enjoy talking about the drama and history for hours,” said the source.
Korean dramas and
movies are smuggled into the North after being pirated in Northeast China. Episodes can
be viewed in Internet cafes in China 1~2 hours after going on air in the South,
and pirated copies are on sale within 1~2 days. It takes approximately 3 days
for discs smuggled into the North to travel throughout the country.
“I’ve seen all the
episodes of Jeongdojeon. The whole collection is already
being sold and circulated around the Jangmadang,” the source concluded. The
last episode of the drama aired in South Korea on June 29th.
