The Unification Ministry holds the “Outreach Book Story Talk Concert” for the public (January 18, National Library of Korea)

On January 18, the Ministry of Unification held the “Outreach Book Story Talk Concert” with the theme of North Korean movies and culture at the National Library of Korea.

The event consisted of a keynote lecture by the Minister of Unification on the realities of North Korea’s economy and society, followed by the “Talk Concert with the Unification Minister and Director Park Yu Sung from the Generation 2030.”

Unification Minister Kim Yung Ho said that despite recent efforts by the North Korean authorities to strengthen surveillance and control over its residents, “North Korean residents still watch foreign videos through USBs or media devices.” Minister Kim added that “the Kim Jong Un regime’s economic and social policies are not proving effective.”

Following this, during a talk with Minister Kim, Director Park mentioned the spread of the Hallyu trend in North Korea and said, “There is great discontent among the younger generation exposed to Hallyu regarding the fourth-generation hereditary succession with Kim Ju Ae as the successor. The North Korean authorities are rigorously blocking them from coming across foreign culture.”