Hallyu Wave in North Korea!

Just read 3 articles related to Hallyu Wave in North Korea from Radio Free Asia published in July 7th 2007, Koreatimes in June 24th 2011 and allkpop.com just today Nov. 21st 2011. Please read, I think it's very interesting.

North Korea Cracks Down on Korean Wave of Illicit TV(Radio Free Asia)

Authorities in North Korea are intensifying a crackdown on imports of South Korean popular culture, especially television dramas, but the South’s “Korean Wave” may already have taken a strong hold in the isolated Stalinist state. South Korean music, soap operas, and movies have already taken the rest of East Asia by storm, and, according to North Koreans now living in the South, the South's arch-rival North Korea is no exception. 

One of the smash-hit TV dramas to emerge from South Korea in recent years has been “Winter Sonata,” a delicate and emotional love story that has spawned its own fashions as people seek to imitate details from the story.
“I watched ‘Winter Sonata’ in North Korea and I even recall the name of the leading actor, Bae Young Joon,” said a defector to South Korea identified only by his surname, Kim. 

Read more North Korea Cracks Down on Korean Wave of Illicit TV

Hallyu is shaking up North Korea (Koreatimes)

    "Hallyu," or Korean wave, has been sweeping the world from Southeast Asia to Europe and further to South America. This is no exception in North Korea.

   “South Korean thrillers, Iris and Athena are very popular there,” said Free North Korea Radio.

   “The hair style of actress Song Hye-gyo from the soap opera, All In, is in vogue in Pyongyang, but the North Korean authorities are reinforcing its regulations,” said Daily NK.

   News outlets handling news about North Koreans are delivering reports on the South Korean wave in the North through sources from the reclusive country.

   Kang Dong-wan, professor of international relations at Dong-a University in Busan, and Professor Park Joung-ran from the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies affiliated with Seoul National University have published a book, “Korean Wave, Shaking Up North Korea.” The book says, “North Korean citizens are admiring South Korea with the illusion of lives of it”. 

Read More  Hallyu is shaking up North Korea

North Korean celebrities are struggling because of the Hallyu Wave (allkpop)

    Radio Free Asia (RFA), a non-profit organization that operates a radio station and internet news source, recently published a story about North Korean celebrities being forgotten due to the Hallyu Wave.  Apparently, South Korean movies and dramas are spreading like wildfire inside the isolated country and are devouring low-quality North Korean films.
    According to an insider in North Korea, “I don’t know anything about new North Korean songs or movies that have been released.  There are only 3-4 [North Korean] films that are produced each year, but since there are so many South Korean movies laying around, no one pays attention to our [North Korean] films.”

Read more North Korean celebrities are struggling because of the Hallyu Wave

 Here's a sample of North Korean Pop music

Here's another related article
KIMIPAKCHWE: North Korean "K-Pop"

For other news related to North Korea check this out
KIMIPAKCHWE: NK related news

Sources
http://www.rfa.org/english/korea/korea_wave-20070717.html?searchterm=None
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/06/113_89552.html
http://www.allkpop.com/2011/11/north-korean-celebrities-are-struggling-because-of-the-hallyu-wave

Pyongyang and Seoul

Just saw this picture from matadornetwork.com. I think it's worth sharing. I know many people outside of Korea are still not aware of the difference between these two 'countries'

The above picture is Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea (officially called Democratic People's Republic of Korea DPRK).

The one below is where I am currently living, Seoul, the capital of South Korea (Republic of Korea).

Here's a link
http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/how-to-know-if-youre-in-north-or-south-korea-pic/
the picture's via reddit 

North Korean "K-Pop"

As far as I know the 'K' in K-Pop stands for Korean, right? Now who says South Korea has the right to claim the "Korean" label? hehe If South Korea is proud of the 'success' of its own K-Pop industry... I guess it's time to think again. North Korea also has its very own K-Pop. Saw this video on chosun.com saying "A recent North Korean song is reminiscent of 1970s South Korean pop."

What do you think?

This is the link of the video  from chosun.com
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/06/21/2011062101010.html

'NK soldiers thank Kim Jong-il for bulgogi'

I found another interesting news today about North Korea. The article says North Korean soldiers were very thankful to Kim Jong-il for the bulgogi he offered to them. In case you're not familiar with bulgogi, it's a Korean dish that usually consists of marinated barbecued beef, although chicken or pork may also be used* and this dish is VERY common here in South Korea. Meaning, you can find and eat it anywhere here and it's not even expensive. Anyway, so, probably many people in South Korea will find this news a bit "interesting" or should I say "shocking."

Here's the article:

North Korea's 'beauty corps' revealed

North Korea (NK)really knows how to get public attention. Indeed this is a very good strategy. I remember when I joined a program organized by DMZ Docs, a five-day camp traveling the DMZ area from Gangwon to Gyeonggi provinces, during the tour our guide mentioned something very interesting. There is an area called "Fairy Falls" if I could remember the name right, on the NK side because sometimes NK girls take a bath in the said waterfalls just like fairies in the forest. You're getting the idea right? haha. Anyway,  you can see it through telescopes from the South Korean (SK) side. The purpose was to tell SK that NK's got beautiful girls. So, as a sort of answer from the SK side, they built a swimming pool and held Ms.Korea pageant, I couldn't remember which year, anyway, and I guess it was for swimsuit competition. Interesting isn't it? haha


Anyway here's the article
  
North Korea’s “beauty corps,” featured in a video clip on a Chinese website, is causing a stir.
Around 753,000 Chinese web surfers have clicked a video clip named “Joseon military review,” recently uploaded on the Chinese version of Youtube, Youku.com, to see a group of “beautiful” North Korean female soldiers.
The two-minute and 49-second-long video shows Kim Jong-il reviewing the corps. Considering that it also shows foreign press covering the event, people guess it to be a recording of the ceremony held on the 65th anniversary of North Korea’s Workers Party.
The event had attracted attention for its unusual openness. The North Korean regime had invited foreign journalists, even allowing them to relay stories live. Around 80 foreign press members visited Pyongyang to cover the occasion and the North even provided a press center.
Among the scenes of North Korean soldiers marching rigidly, a group of North Korean women smiling and posing for the camera around a flowerbed caught peoples’ eyes.
“I’m surprised that there still is a country that holds military reviews like that. The soldiers are ship-shaped,” one Chinese commented on the video. Other viewers expressed interest in the female soldiers, saying things like, “I’m in love with the lovely women soldiers,” or “The women are really pretty.” 

http://koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/06/116_89112.html

Twitter to know more about North Korea?

Many South Koreans have been expressing much concern about the possibility of being jailed for following the newly made NK Twitter account. Although, I think it's relatively hard to access the site from Korea. Well, I have a feeling that every time you access something about North korea here in Korea, you are being watched...haha

Seoul expressed deep concern over the growing popularity of Pyongyang’s Twitter site, which has links to anti-South Korea and anti-U.S. statements on its official website www.uriminzokkiri.com.


The number of its followers surpassed 5,600 Wednesday afternoon, up 10 times from 560 as of 1 p.m. Monday.

“Twitter users should be aware that interacting with a North Korean site may violate the Inter-Korea Exchange and Cooperation Act,” Lee Jong-joo, a spokeswoman for the Unification Ministry, said Wednesday

(Full Article: http://koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/08/116_71619.html)

On the other hand US lauded North Korea's entry into the Twitter and YouTube global networking systems, expressing hope that technology will help information reach deep into the reclusive regime, according to Yonhap News Agency.


In another tweet, Crowley said, "The North Korean government has joined Twitter, but is it prepared to allow its citizens to be connected as well?," Yonhap said. "The Hermit Kingdom will not change overnight, but technology once introduced can't be shut down. Just ask Iran."

(Full Article: http://koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/08/113_71595.html)

Special Topic: Chirstmas Eve in 2 Koreas

Christmas Eve in South Korea is totally different from the Christmas that I know in the Philippines. ^^; Christmas Eve in the Philippines is usually celebrated by attending the "Rooster's Mass" or Misa del Gallo, this is among the Catholics. As we know Philippines is predominantly Catholic. This is celebrated hours before the clock ticks 12 A.M. signifying the arrival of Christmas Day. Usually, we go to church then hold a feast called Noche Buena. This is some sort of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. It doesn't matter whether you are poor or as rich as Bill Gates, all Filipinos try to find a way to commemorate this event for Jesus Christ. After all it's CHRISTmas.

In South Korea, just like Japan, Christmas Eve is like Valentines Day. Couples go out for a date. Hotels, motels, restaurants, movie theaters are all fully-booked. Probably the best businesses during the night ^^; lol I remember when I was in Japan, there was a traffic jam outside a motel because it was like the only motel with available rooms in the area...lol. Anyway, couples greet Merry Christmas. It must be noted that just like Valentines day, singles also try to go out and enjoy as a group of singles. Or some just stay in the house and feel the same so-called loneliness felt by singles on Feb.14th. kkk

North Korea has its own way of celebrating the Christmas eve. According to Daily NK, it is the birthday of one of North Korea's three so-called national heroes, Kim Jong Il's mother Kim Jong Suk. So this day is one of the biggest national holidays in NK. Another important information revealed is that the North Koreans did not know anything about Christmas until the 1990s. It was only through movies that they became gradually aware of the existence of the holiday.

http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk02900&num=5834