Russia blocks release of North Korean defector movie starring Kim Min-ha

A film poster for "Hana Korea" / Courtesy of U Films

The Russian government blocked the screening of a movie about a North Korean defector a week before its scheduled release, according to the film’s Moscow-based distributor.

"Hana Korea," a movie inspired by a North Korean defector’s account of adjusting to life in South Korea, was denied a license required for screening, distribution company U Films said in a statement Thursday.

The specific reason for the denial is unclear, U Films said, with authorities citing the Russian culture ministry’s regulation allowing for broad refusals under unspecified provisions of federal law.

“We are very sorry that Russian audiences will not be able to watch this movie legally,” the distributor said.

U Films unveiled the film’s trailer on YouTube on April 6. It was originally scheduled for release April 30. South Korean films unrelated to defection continue to be screened in Russia.

The Russian culture ministry didn’t respond to NK News’ request for comment at the time of publication.

The film, directed by Danish filmmaker Frederik Schøllberg, tracks the life of Hyesun (a pseudonym), who navigates the emotional and cultural challenges of adjusting to life in South Korea, according to production company Seesaw Pictures.

Hyesun is portrayed by Kim Min-ha, a South Korean actress known for her role in the Apple TV+ series Pachinko.

Experts told NK News that Moscow’s refusal is likely linked to its growing ties with Pyongyang.

“The film is about leaving North Korea, which could have prompted a request from the North to prevent its screening,” Hubert Young-hwan Lee, head of the Seoul-based nonprofit Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG), told NK News.

The film’s portrayal of defection and resettlement in South Korea could potentially encourage North Korean soldiers and workers in Russia to defect to South Korea or the West, according to Lee.

Defectors march in Seoul to raise awareness about human rights in North Korea, in this photo taken by North Korean defector Jang Se-yul. Courtesy of NK News

The human rights activist also suggested the film’s pro-unification theme, including its title that translates to “one Korea,” challenges Kim Jong-un’s efforts to maintain the division separating the two Koreas.

Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova held talks with Kim in Pyongyang in June 2025 and agreed to expand cultural exchanges as part of the strategic partnership deal the two countries signed the previous year.

An aide to Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Hong Kee-won previously told NK News that 187 North Korean defectors were at “high-risk” and were unreachable by the South Korean government in 2025.

High-risk defectors are those who face hardship like unpaid health insurance and overdue debts, according to the aide.

The number of defectors at high-risk increased from 116 in 2023 to 166 the next year, according to data from the lawmaker’s office. The average suicide rate among defectors between 2021 and 2023 was 54 deaths for 100,000 people, more than double the rate of the general population, according to Seoul’s Ministry of Unification.

Read the article at NK News.