Lead actress #1, Cho An
Posted on 12/20/2004 6:39:55 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
/begin my translation
Why did the portraits of Kim Jong-il disappear in N. Korea? In the midst of flurry of speculations, Japanese new weekly, Shukan Bunshun, reported in its latest issue situations in N. Korea, based on diverse sources it was able to assemble. In particular, it shows an interesting analysis that S. Korean dramas are fueling the hostility toward Kim Jong-il regime. The following is the summary of the original Japanese article.
Up until now, N. Korean state has been firmly maintained by suffocating surveillance and ideological control. However, troubles lie in an unexpected place. It is information inflow from outside.
First of all, inflow of cellphones creates a big problem. According to Professor Lee Young-hwa of Kansai University, "Cellphones flowing over Sino-N. Korean border are illegally modified to make international calls. N. Korean authorities believe that anti-state elements are using these phones, and focusing their efforts on investigating them." According to N. Korean authorities, Ryongchon explosion in last April was, "done by using cellphones, perpetrators were cellphone owners." Based on this claim, they went on to justify restricting cellphone use.
In addition to the problem above, another problem N. Korean authorities are paying keen attention to is the rapid spread of VCD(translator's note: Video Compact Disc.) N. Korean internal documents obtained by Professor Lee Young-hwa contain a directive by Kim Jong-il, which says, 'We have to resolutely fight against the spread of propaganda using exotic recorded materials and publications.' What they refer as 'exotic recorded materials' is actually S. Korean TV dramas recorded on VCD.
Mr. Ishimaru of Asia Press says, "Most VCD's are smuggled from China. Chinese economy is experiencing oversupply of goods. Price of automobiles and electronic goods fell sharply. Second-hand VCD players costs between 300 yuan(3 dollars) and 500 yuan(5 dollars.) A (bootleg) copy of S. Korean drama VCD goes between 15 yuan(15 cents) and 20 yuan(20 cents.)"
Smugglers make recordings off from S. Korean satellite broadcasting, then cross Sino-N. Korean border and provide the player and VCD on a rental basis. At some home of well-off N. Koreans, they organize a group showing and collect admission fee from participants. Mr. Ishimaru continues, "Oaf first, Chinese Kung-fu movies were popular. Later, the popularity shifted to dramas in Korean. Smugglers bribe border guards to bring VCD's. The guards, instead of cracking down on it, also end up watching VCD's, swapping their copies with those of other guards."
Mr. Ishimaru interviewed more than 400 N. Korean refugees crossing the border back and forth. He asked them which drama they watched. A lot of them responded, "First Love(translator's note: Chot-Sarang in Korean.)"
'First Love', who became a runaway hit even among starving people, is a drama about extra-marital affair. The lead male actor, Shin Sung-woo, with his signature long hairs and smooth face lines, is a type of guy you cannot find in N. Korea. On the other hand, one of lead female actresses, Kim Ji-soo, with her fair skin, is a type of classic N. Korean beauty, who can make (Kim Jong-il's) 'Pleasure Group'(Kimppum-jo.)
So what drew N. Koreans into this S. Korean drama, which was not a popular drama in S. Korea? Mr. Ishimaru explains, "For one thing, S. Korean drama, unlike N. Korean's, has no political overtone. It is liberating and entertaining. More importantly, people realize that S. Korea, which has been antagonized for a long time, turns out to be affluent and nice place to live. This leads to comparing their situation with S. Korean's. It would dawn on them that their economic hardship is due to their political system, furthermore, they have been lied to by Kim Jong-il."
Among growing number of N. Korean refugees, many got caught due to Chinese crackdown and sent back to N. Korea. Once exposed to outside world, they will go back to N. Korean and tell people what they saw. The spread of such information fuels hostility toward Kim Jong-il.
A yearning for (better) life outside sometimes make children of the party elites, who are about Kim Jong-nam's age(translator's note: Kim Jong-nam is Kim jong-il's eldest son), choose the path of defection . For example, late last year, the son of Oh Kuk-ryol, the chief of Operations Department in N. Korean Worker's Party, defected to America.
'Korean Wave' swept over many Asian countries. It may be N. Korea's turn now.
/end my translation
Lead actress #1, Cho An
Ping!
Information wants to be free.
Can you get any clearer skin than that!? A tribute to kimchi and lots of other vegetables! Komappta.
It would be interested to see if the 'Yon Sama' (Bae Yong Joon) phenomenon takes off in the DPRK as it has in Japan, Singapore, HK, Taiwan, Thailand, and just about anywhere else in Asia where they have video players.
Probably so.
"just about anywhere else in Asia where they have video players."
Sounds like they're smuggling them across the Yalu, which makes me wonder how far southward they are getting.
There are lots of brainwashed fanatics in NK who wouldn't think twice about turning somebody in for having one.
Poor DPRK is going to have to come up with some better movies if they are going to try to get the People looking away from ROK productions and toward Pyongyang Studios' masterpieces. LOL.
A joke in Pyongyang is, "We are yahoos, while those living near the border are trend-setters." No, I am not making it up.
These days, even security agents are infected with the drama craze. Even if you are caught with these videos, you are let go after a slap on your wrist. However, you would still be in deep trouble if you badmouth Kim Jong-il.
"Poor DPRK is going to have to come up with some better movies"
There's the rub. A dictatorship can't allow creativity.
"Even if you are caught with these videos, you are let go after a slap on your wrist."
That's very good news.
Dare we hope...?
I heard stories of D.P.R.K. people sent up to the coal mines for a few years for merely forgetting to take out the Great Leader Comrade Kim il Sung's photo from newspapers prior to distributing them to the public toilets (which is their 'toilet paper'). Aa a matter of fact, that would be fun psy war and guerilla theater...to make up Kim Jong il Toilet Paper and get that smuggled into the DPRK from China. They already have Saddam toilet paper and they had Ayatollah toilet paper, as gags, in the 1970s. Why the short fat one would bust a corpuscle in his brain if he heard what peasants were doing to his imagine up in restrooms in Sinuiju.
to his (image) (not 'imagine')
Well, it may not be far away, although I suspect that Kim Jong-il regime will fall before common folks would try it.
They will enjoy "Team America".
Somebody has to traslate it first.:)
Thank you for translating and posting this!
I think we are seeing the final days of Kim Jong Il.
I wonder how sales of Team America going Tiger
LOLOL
Please know that you are giving me ideas (and sneaky ideas at that). :-)
I think I'll ask one of the NGOs (non government organization) humanitarian groups operating in China who help get North Koreas out, if they've seen "Team America" and if they would consider somehow getting copies of it in there. Why not? (Maybe just edit the portions of the Yo Kim Chia Head, the Short-Donged One, and see if it could be subtitled in Korean).
You know, satire against dictatorial authority is great guerilla psy war. LOL!
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