Over the secÂond half of the twenÂtiÂeth cenÂtuÂry, South Korea became rich, and in the first decades of the twenÂty-first, it’s become a globÂal culÂturÂal superÂpowÂer. The same can’t be said for North Korea: after a relÂaÂtiveÂly strong start in the nineÂteen-fifties and sixÂties, its econÂoÂmy foundered, and in the famine-strickÂen mid-nineties it pracÂtiÂcalÂly colÂlapsed. For that and othÂer reaÂsons, the counÂtry has nevÂer been in a posiÂtion to send forth its own BTS, Squid Game, ParÂaÂsite, or “GangÂnam Style.” But whatÂevÂer the difÂfiÂculÂties at home, the DemoÂcÂraÂtÂic PeoÂple’s RepubÂlic of Korea has always manÂaged to proÂduce enterÂtainÂment for conÂsumpÂtion by its own peoÂple: movies, aniÂmaÂtion, teleÂviÂsion shows, music, and more besides.
Then again, “enterÂtainÂment” may be too strong a word. A few years ago, attendÂing a North-South culÂturÂal exchange group in Seoul, where I live, I had the chance to watch a recent movie called 우리집 이야기, or The StoÂry of Our Home. It told its simÂple tale of a famÂiÂly of orphans tryÂing to surÂvive on their own with surÂprisÂing techÂniÂcal comÂpeÂtence — at least comÂpared to what I’d expectÂed — albeit with what I rememÂber as occaÂsionÂal jarÂring lapsÂes into flat proÂpaÂganÂda shots, stern nationÂal anthem, flapÂping red-starred flag and all. AccordÂing to “EnterÂtainÂment Made By North Korea,” the new five-and-a-half-hour analyÂsis from YoutuÂber Paper Will, that sort of thing is par for the course.
In order to put North KoreÂan enterÂtainÂment in its propÂer conÂtext, the video begins before there was a North Korea, describÂing the films made on the JapanÂese-occuÂpied KoreÂan peninÂsuÂla between 1910 and the end of the SecÂond World War. Though the expulÂsion of the defeatÂed Japan endÂed coloÂnial rule in Korea, many more hardÂships would visÂit both sides of the newÂly dividÂed counÂtry. But even durÂing their strugÂgles to develÂop, the rulers of both the develÂopÂing North and South Korea underÂstood the potenÂtial of cinÂeÂma to influÂence their peoÂples’ attiÂtudes and perÂcepÂtions. Watched today, these picÂtures reveal a great deal about the counÂtries’ priÂorÂiÂties. For the DPRK, those priÂorÂiÂties includÂed the encourÂageÂment of unstintÂing hard work and alleÂgiance to the state, embodÂied by its founder Kim Il Sung.
LatÂer, in the sevÂenÂties and eightÂies, came some diverÂsiÂfiÂcaÂtion of both media and mesÂsage, as serÂiÂal draÂmas and chilÂdren’s carÂtoons, some of them craftÂed with genÂuine skill and charm, disÂcourÂaged indiÂvidÂuÂalÂisÂtic attiÂtudes, symÂpaÂthy for forÂeignÂers, and thoughts of defecÂtion. Under Kim Il Sung’s movie-lovÂing Kim Jong Il, North KoreÂan films became more watchÂable, thanks in large part to his kidÂnapÂping and forcibly employÂing South KoreÂan direcÂtor Shin Sang-ok. Under his son Kim Jong Un, the counÂtry’s popÂuÂlar culÂture has flirtÂed with the very outÂer reachÂes of cool, assemÂbling the likes of instruÂment-playÂing girl-group MoranÂbong. NevÂerÂtheÂless, in North Korea, enterÂtainÂment conÂtinÂues first and foreÂmost to enforce the preÂferred ideÂolÂoÂgy of the rulÂing class, someÂthing that — perÂish the thought — could sureÂly nevÂer hapÂpen in the West.
RelatÂed conÂtent:
A‑ha’s “Take On Me” PerÂformed by North KoreÂan Kids with AccorÂdions
How to Defeat the US with Math: An AniÂmatÂed North KoreÂan ProÂpaÂganÂda Film for Kids
North Korea’s CinÂeÂma of Dreams
Watch More Than 400 ClasÂsic KoreÂan Films Free Online Thanks to the KoreÂan Film Archive
Based in Seoul, ColÂin Marshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the SubÂstack newsletÂter Books on Cities, the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles and the video series The City in CinÂeÂma. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall or on FaceÂbook.
