Mick Hartley

As we've seen, the North Korean authorities spare no effort in clamping down on "impure" videos from South Korea, with penalties up to and including labour camps for watching, and the death penalty for distributing.

Chinese videos, on the other hand, are not a problem:

As material exchanges accelerate between North Korea and China, a growing number of traders in both countries are making money dealing in Chinese movies and TV programs.

Speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, a Daily NK source in China said Monday that more and more North Korean traders are asking their Chinese counterparts for USBs containing Chinese films and TV shows.

“Many more North Korean traders are asking for USBs with Chinese films or TV shows released over the last five years. Traders on both sides of the border are making good money on USBs.

“The trend is for North Korean traders to take the USBs, copy them in major cities like Pyongyang, Sinuiju, Hamhung and Wonsan, and sell them wholesale or retail nationwide. Many North Koreans are looking for Chinese films or movies because the government is relatively tolerant towards that kind of content.” 

Although North Korean authorities are fully aware that North Korean traders are importing USBs with Chinese films or TV programs to be copied and sold, they typically turn a blind eye, so North Korean traders face few limitations in earning money.

In fact, the North Korean regime appears intent to use Chinese films and TV shows as a way to stop the so-called “Korean Wave,” the source said….

Young North Koreans in their teens to 30s are still wild about South Korean cultural products, but Chinese content comes under far less scrutiny from North Korean authorities, and North Korean traders who want a stable source of income continue to jump into the sector, the source said. 

“Young North Koreans don’t think Chinese films or TV shows can replace South Korean films or shows, but importing and selling USBs with Chinese films and TV shows is ideal for traders who prioritize stable sources of income.”

Officially, then, North Korea is positioning itself closer culturally to China rather than South Korea – which of course is no surprise. On the other hand it's the young North Koreans who are crazy for South Korean culture, and the older generation that sticks with Chinese films. The tide is not in Pyongyang's favour.