Even N. Korea watches 'Descendants of the Sun'

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Even N. Korea watches 'Descendants of the Sun'

태양의 후예, 北에서도 시청한다지 말입니다

Posted : 2016-04-10 16:08

Updated : 2016-04-10 16:50

Song Joong-ki(left) and Song Hye-kyo from KBS's "Descendants of the Sun"
/ Courtesy of KBS

By Ko Dong-hwan

KBS TV's mega-hit drama "Descendants of the Sun" is gathering a following in one of the world's most secluded communist states ― North Korea.

Local daily newspaper Kyunghyang Shimmun, quoting a North Korean defector, said Friday the defector's family in the North had watched the drama's first eight episodes via the Internet.

The report said "some North Koreans had begun to get love-sick with the drama."

"More smartphones have been distributed to people and better Internet networks have been established compared to the past," the report said, quoting a North Korean expert.

The drama is set in the fictional war-torn country of Uruk. Its male lead, Song Joong-ki, who plays unrealistically perfect special unit chief Yoo Si-jin, falls in love with Kang Mo-yeon (Song Hye-kyo), a doctor from non-profit organization Doctors Without Borders.

The 14-part drama has caused frenzy among fans outside Korea. The drama's title was at one stage the most-searched keyword on China's No.1 SNS provider, Weibo. U.S.-based video-streaming website Viki has made the drama's subtitles available in 32 languages, including English, Chinese, Malaysian and Vietnamese. Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha has urged his citizens to watch the drama because it has "a sense of patriotism and sacrifice for one's country."

The drama's last episode airs on April 14.

태양의 후예, 北에서도 시청한다지 말입니다

북한에서도 한류드라마 “태양의 후예”를 보는 것으로 확인됐다.

지난 8일 경향신문은 “드라마가 북한에도 침투했다”며 “북한 주민들도 ‘태후 앓이’에 빠졌다”고 단독 보도했다.

매체는 10년째 국내 거주 중인 한 탈북자와 인터뷰했다. 그는 “최근 북한에 있는 가족과 통화를 했는데, ‘태양의 후예’ 12회 본방 당시 북한 가족이 ‘태양의 후예’를 8회까지 봤다더라”고 밝혔다. 그는 가족들이 인터넷을 통해 드라마를 봤다고 전한 것으로 알려졌다.

매체는 한 북한학 연구자를 통해 “북한에도 스마트폰이 보급돼 있고, 인터넷망 역시 이전과는 달리 상대적으로 활성화된 덕에 한국 드라마 시청도 이뤄지고 있는 것으로 보인다”고 전했다.

aoshima11@ktimes.com