"If there were a soldier like Hyun Bin, I wouldn't have defected"... The 'Crash Landing on You' craze in North Korea and the dangerous reality of watching it

The popularity of South Korean dramas is extending to social phenomena within North Korea. In a recently released video, broadcaster Kang Na-ra, who is from North Korea, appeared to share the craze for South Korean dramas blowing among North Korean residents and the dangerous processes involved in accessing them.

"If there were a soldier like Hyun Bin"... 'Crash Landing on You' shakes North Korea

Kang Na-ra stated that the drama 'Crash Landing on You' has gained great popularity within North Korea, to the point where mentioning characters from the drama has become a trend. She explained that the fact that the drama is set in North Korea provided both familiarity and interest to local residents.

Kang Na-ra revealed that North Korean residents even make jokes while comparing characters in the drama to reality. She shared an anecdote where she gave a joking response, saying, "Everyone I meet asks if North Korean soldiers look like Hyun Bin," adding, "If there had been a soldier who looked like Hyun Bin, I wouldn't have defected."

She cited the 'way of speaking' as the charm of South Korean dramas. Kang Na-ra explained that unlike the North Korean way of speaking, the soft tone used by characters in South Korean dramas gives a unique feeling to North Korean residents. She said, "In North Korea, the title 'dongmu' (comrade) is mainly used, but among friends who have watched South Korean dramas, there are instances where they use the title 'chingu' (friend)."

Even under the strict control of the North Korean authorities, routes to access South Korean content exist. Kang Na-ra stated that North Korean residents obtain South Korean dramas or movies through USBs at markets. She explained, "If you go to the market, you ask the ladies if new USBs have arrived, and following their guidance, you purchase smuggled USBs in places like warehouses."

Furthermore, content confiscated during the authorities' crackdowns paradoxically becomes a viewing route. Kang Na-ra shared, "I remember taking a recently confiscated USB caught in a crackdown home and sharing it with friends to watch together," describing a situation where confiscated content is distributed while maintaining its freshness.

North Korean authorities have very strong punishment regulations regarding the distribution and viewing of South Korean content. According to the video, North Korea enacted the 'Law on Rejecting Reactionary Ideology and Culture' last December, which imposes the death penalty on distributors of South Korean video materials and 15 years of imprisonment on viewers.

Despite these strong legal regulations, the desire for South Korean content is not being broken. It is reported that at the end of last year, in just one North Korean city, as many as 10,000 students turned themselves in for watching South Korean video materials, showing that the movement to consume K-content continues even while taking risks.