Despite the barrage of recent military threats issued by North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un towards the U.S. and South Korea, his citizens may be too busy watching the new KBS drama, "You're The Best Lee Soon Shin" to pay him the attention he craves.
According to KBS, the first episodes of the drama, starring singer IU (Lee Ji Eun) are not only popular in South Korea but have gained many fans north of the military demarcation line (MDL).
A KBS board member, attending an event at the National Assembly, cited the show as a good example of the Korean wave sweeping through North Korea. He said that one reason for its popularity is that everyone there knows of IU, who plays Lee Soon Shin. And it's only natural that they will want to see her act in this drama.
Even the actors in the series are impressed at the show's North Korean popularity. According to a rep from the drama's production company, A Story, it's IU's acting and the drama's touching story that is moving the hearts of North Koreans.
In the drama, Lee Soon Shin is a pampered girl who must come to terms with reality when her father dies. She is the least successful but most spirited sibling of her family. When she meets the cold, competitive talent agent Shin Joon Ho, played by Jo Jung Suk, her life begins to turn around. She in turn helps him realize the true meaning of success.
The fact that the show has become so popular in North Korea is even more impressive when you consider that possessing videos and publications from South Korea is punishable there. But that doesn't stop North Koreans from watching or owning them.
Surveys by North Korean defectors showed that many North Koreans watched South Korean dramas and films and listen to kpop. A survey in 2010 by the Korea Institute for National Unification found that dramas such as "Winter Sonata" helped shaped their decision by these defectors to flee.
Also, it has been reported that many North Koreans living near the demilitarized zone have altered their TVs to receive signals from South Korea.
Last year Kim Jong Un spoke to the internal security division of the Korean People's Army, saying he would continue to fight the enemy's cultural infiltration."
But it may be a losing battle. Politics aside, it's hard to stop a good story from being told.
