North Korean Girls Are Risking Their Lives For K-Pop…Literally
놀새나라 Nolsae Nara TV is a North Korean Defector YouTuber who posts about her past life in the North and how she’s adjusting to life in South Korea. In a recent video, she reveals how North Korean K-Pop fans get a hold of videos and information regarding South Korean boy groups.
The first question asked states, “Who is your favorite idol?” To that she answers right away by saying it has always been INFINITE’s L. She is also a great fan of BTS.
“What are North Korean idols like?”
She reveals that they were shocked at first because it is usually not allowed to wear revealing and short outfits for TV. But when a North Korean girl group was released, such as the Moranbong Band, they wore dresses that revealed a lot of skin. She also adds that there are no boy groups in North Korea.
“Did you know about Korean Idols while in North Korea?”
She states that she did not know about the actual word ‘idol’ that people in South Korea used to refer to girl/boy groups. She just knew them by the group names and did not know that they were called idols.
“How do you discover idol groups in North Korea?”
She explains that they discover idols through media. Back in the day, they used to watch idol groups from CDs and DVDs, but these days they are able to access the media through USB drives. These USB drives are smuggled through the border and are then copied illegally and spread around to all parts of North Korea. They are then sold at markets all around the country.
“Do they watch a lot of Korean dramas?”
For those that live near the border, they are able to watch Korean dramas in real-time by using antennas. They are also able to watch new K-Pop music videos every month. But for those that live further away from the border, it could take up to a year to access new media. In conclusion, K-Pop media and dramas will always be prohibited in North Korea. There’s just no way. It was and still is prohibited. But people are always drawn to things that are not allowed.
“What happens if you get caught watching K-Pop idols?”
She emphasizes the fact that watching K-Pop idol groups in North Korea means that you are literally risking your life while doing it. She reveals that you could get shot to death for watching it. She reveals that actually witnessed something like this when she was 16. The reason for their execution was this: “Illegally copying South Korean dramas and distributing them.” Seeing the execution in person traumatized her and really made her think that she should not watch stuff from South Korea.
Although we have seen many fans risk many things to see their favorite idols, fans in North Korea are literally risking their lives to get a hold of K-Pop!
Watch the full video below!
