Propaganda and passion: North Korean show mimics K-dramas

Romantic TV serial seen as a move to stop citizens from consuming content from South

- Wendy Teo

A new North Korean television drama has drawn attention for its plot and characters that are more reminiscent of K-dramas produced in South Korea — a soft-power phenomenon that Pyongyang has been trying to curb within its shores.

Just like hit Netflix K-drama When Life Gives You Tangerines, which aired recently, the hermit kingdom's latest drama, A New Spring In The Field Of Manchurian Cranes, features a romantic subplot involving young star-crossed lovers facing parental objections.

This marks a big shift in tone for North Korean TV dramas, which are usually heavy on propaganda and light on emotions; this cultural offering of the North even includes a romantic trope used in the dramas of the South.

It features a scene in which a man dons an apron and makes dinner for his family, signalling a change in social norms in North Korea, a society with deep patriarchal roots.

For this reason, the 22-episode drama series has reportedly created a buzz in North Korea after it aired from April 16 to June 24.

The July issue of Geumsu Gangsan, a North Korean monthly periodical that covers culture, health and food matters, reported "high viewership ratings" for the new drama, with members of the public stopping the actors in the street to praise them for their realistic performances, and the male romantic lead "gaining popularity among female viewers".

Dr Yee Ji-sun, a researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told The Sunday Times that the marked shift in plot development, character behaviour, and dialogue from previous staid North Korean productions is likely an attempt to move towards offering more engaging content to North Korean viewers, to prevent them from consuming banned foreign media.