South Korean Movies Widely Circulated in North Korea

[imText1]Despite the continuous control of the North Korean government, it was reported that the North Korean people have access to VCD and VCR copies of South Korean soap operas and movies.

Kim Young Il, a North Korean defector from Hamheung City whom The DailyNK met in Yanji, China, confessed that he had watched some of the well-known South Korean movies such as “Joint Security Area,” “Asphalt Man,” and “Police Special Unit” while he was still in North Korea.

According to Kim, the number of houses that possess video machines (including VCD) increased much since 2000. The young people ask Jangmadang or Chinese sellers to get them entertaining movie CDs. It is not so hard to obtain movie CDs from South Korea or other countries such as the US, China, and Hong Kong .

Such phenomena provided the reason for the North Korea state to prohibit illegally watching videos starting at the beginning of the year with the slogan, “Let’s root out the culture of capitalism.”

Sales of Electronics without the ‘Hana Electronics’ Tags Prohibited

In the past, North Korea bought in used recording devices and VCD electronics in mass amounts. All those North Koreans who had permission to trade with China bought used electronics at cheap prices. On the other hand, Chinese sound-related machine sellers made money coming in and out of North Korea selling burned CDs.

There are VCD players made in North Korea. All the VCDs and CDs from “Hana Electronics Co” in Pyongyang have “Hana Electronics” tags. In all of Jangmadang, only CDs with “Hana Electronics” tags can be sold. The CDs made in North Korea consist of recordings such as “Arirang” performances or animations such as “Boy Jangsu,” which the people do not find interesting.

The price of the movie CDs also varies according to what they consist of. For example, the price of the South Korean movie, “Asphalt Man” costs 5,000 North Korean Won ($2.5) while Chinese CDs cost only 2,000 Won ($1) each.

Due to the spreading rumor that the people are watching South Korean soap operas, the North Korean state started a crackdown. Kim said, “The National Security Office and the Safety Department confiscate the TVs and electronics of those caught watching South Korean movies or soap operas and in extreme cases, expel them.”

Kim says he was caught when he let his friend borrow a South Korean movie CD and was called in and out of the National Security Office for five months.

In the end he was able to get out by bribing with a cart of CRAVEN cigarettes, which costs about 1,000 Won a box, and he defected because the crackdown intensified due to the “South Korean Soap Opera Incident.”