A kinder, gentler North Korea? How the DPRK’s popular culture embraced humanism



Analysis A kinder, gentler North Korea? How the DPRK’s popular culture embraced humanism Amid unprecedented hardships, several films and dramas promoted a surprising spirit of acceptance and forgiveness Tatiana Gabroussenko January 23, 2023 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON An actor rests during a scene in "Tree is Growing from Roots" (줄기는-뿌리에서-자란다), a North Korean film released in 1998 \| Image: KCTV Recent years have seen a tightening of ideological control in North Korea, from propaganda campaigns warning of harsh penalties for possession of foreign media to a crackdown on “abuse of power.” The COVID-19 pandemic and related economic hardships appear to have driven North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to demand ever-greater shows of loyalty and purity. Interestingly, however, another period of intense suffering in the DPRK led to a different message, at least as delivered through cultural works. Recent years have seen a tightening of ideological control in North Korea, from propaganda campaigns warning of harsh penalties for possession of foreign media to a crackdown on “abuse of power.” The COVID-19 pandemic and related economic hardships appear to have driven North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to demand ever-greater shows of loyalty and purity. Interestingly, however, another period of intense suffering in the DPRK led to a different message, at least as delivered through cultural works. Become a member for less than $5.75 per week. Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts. Subscribe now All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

Analysis

A kinder, gentler North Korea? How the DPRK’s popular culture embraced humanism

Amid unprecedented hardships, several films and dramas promoted a surprising spirit of acceptance and forgiveness

Tatiana Gabroussenko January 23, 2023

A kinder, gentler North Korea? How the DPRK’s popular culture embraced humanism

An actor rests during a scene in "Tree is Growing from Roots" (줄기는-뿌리에서-자란다), a North Korean film released in 1998 | Image: KCTV

Recent years have seen a tightening of ideological control in North Korea, from propaganda campaigns warning of harsh penalties for possession of foreign media to a crackdown on “abuse of power.”

The COVID-19 pandemic and related economic hardships appear to have driven North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to demand ever-greater shows of loyalty and purity. Interestingly, however, another period of intense suffering in the DPRK led to a different message, at least as delivered through cultural works.

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