"Puppets in My Mind, I Truly Regret It": North Korean Soldiers in Turmoil Over 'Banned Videos'

1. "Puppets in My Mind...": 'Summary Execution' for Watching K-Dramas
A man is seen writing intently with his head bowed. While it is difficult to see exactly what is written, he has completely filled two pages. The man who wrote the letter says:

["As I watched impure recordings once or twice, the speech of the puppets gradually filled my mind and... I regret it, I truly regret it."]

This is an excerpt from ideological education material for North Korean soldiers released by Radio Free Asia (RFA). The reference to "puppet speech" likely refers to South Korean-style language. The soldier appears to have been caught after watching banned South Korean dramas or movies, and the video follows with warnings that one must never follow in his footsteps, emphasizing that violators will inevitably be caught one day.

["Even while knowing that this is an act of aiding the enemy and committing treason by dancing to the enemy's tune, watching the enemy's impure recordings is the path to ruining one's own fate by becoming the world's most foolish suicide..."]

Let us look at another scene. In front of an auditorium, a soldier and women dressed in civilian clothing stand with their heads bowed, and handcuffs are soon placed on their wrists. They also appear to be individuals caught watching or distributing so-called impure audio and video recordings, and a panelist goes so far as to demand summary executions.

["In the name of all military unit employees, I strongly urge that these individuals, who are thoroughly corrupted by imperialist ideological culture and lifestyles, be summarily executed to bring down a merciless iron hammer upon them."]

Soldiers, who are prohibited from using mobile phones, were also reportedly caught secretly watching banned videos. The narrator in the footage reported that those caught watching external videos were sentenced to more than five years of reform through labor, noting that they are excluded from any amnesties. Reform through labor is similar to imprisonment in South Korea's legal system, though conducted under far harsher conditions. The video was reportedly produced in 2023 and continues to be used as educational material. In 2020, North Korea enacted the Law on Rejecting Reactionary Ideology and Culture, significantly intensifying penalties for the influx of foreign culture. The video appears to have been produced as educational material following that law's enactment.

2. Does Punishment Vary Completely Depending on Bribes and Connections?
The fact that North Korea produces and screens such videos suggests how vigilant the regime is regarding these trends, which conversely implies that watching South Korean dramas and movies has spread widely across the country. The Korea Institute for National Unification, a state-run research institute, annually publishes the White Paper on North Korean Human Rights. Looking more closely at its contents, one North Korean defector surveyed stated that North Korean authorities tightened crackdowns on viewing foreign videos starting around 2019, adding, "For South Korean movies, it is one year of reform through labor per hour watched." The defector noted that someone actually received a seven-year sentence for watching seven hours of South Korean movies. Another defector recounted that in October 2022, a 22-year-old resident in the Yongyon area of South Hwanghae Province was publicly executed for watching and distributing illegal recordings. Defectors also testified that a specialized crackdown unit known as Group 109 conducts frequent, unannounced home searches. However, even if people are caught watching, not everyone receives equal punishment. The outcome changes completely depending on bribes and personal connections, often referred to as "baek". A defector whose son was caught listening to South Korean music in 2018 revealed that by paying 15,000 yuan (approximately 3.15 million won), the punishment was reduced to a six-month sentence. An investigation by Amnesty International also documented a case where an individual caught watching South Korean dramas three times avoided punishment entirely thanks to family connections.

3. A North Korean Version of 'When Life Gives You Tangerines'? Mimicking K-Dramas
Fundamentally, because North Korean movies and dramas aim to instill ideology, they are significantly less entertaining compared to South Korean content. It is, in a sense, natural for North Korean residents to seek out external media. North Korea also seems to recognize that punishment alone cannot resolve the issue, as it is attempting various approaches to divert people's attention away from foreign content by producing different types of programming. One example is the drama "New Spring in Baekhak Plain," which aired last year on Korean Central Television. Set in a rural farming community, it might be likened to a North Korean version of "Country Diaries," or in contemporary terms, a North Korean counterpart to "When Life Gives You Tangerines". It features quite a few romantic subplots between men and women, and even scenes like this appear. To provide some context, the older woman is the mother of the man whom the younger woman is dating.

["It doesn't work just because the two of you like each other. Pardon? It seems our Yeong-deok is crazy about you, comrade. Do you know how I raised my Yeong-deok? So I hope you conduct yourself properly."]

Doesn't the image of a mother rejecting her child's lover over a mismatch in social standing and walking away look familiar from K-dramas? It appears North Korea has borrowed such clichés. In other dramas, provocative elements such as murder and infidelity have also been incorporated throughout the plot. North Korea seems to be striving to introduce more sensational, "spicy" dramas, yet significant limitations remain in bridging the gap. Following North Korea's closer ties with Russia, a Russian singer's rock performance was once broadcast on Korean Central Television for domestic audiences. This may stem from the calculation that introducing Russian culture is less threatening than South Korean culture, which shares the same language. It remains to be seen how effective North Korean authorities' attempts will be in diverting public attention toward domestic productions or content from friendly nations while continuing their severe crackdown on South Korean culture.

Reported by Kim Ayeong | Scripted by Shin Hee-sook | Camera by Choi Ho-jun | Video Editing by Ahn Jun-hyeok | Graphics by Lee Jeong-joo | Source: RFA | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.