Daily Life Videos from North Korea on TikTok
"Could Be Propaganda Accounts"
Recently, North Korean YouTubers 'Song-a' and 'Yumi' have become a hot topic, and now an account presumed to be operated by the North Korean authorities has appeared on China's short video (short-form) platform 'TikTok.' The account features scenes of Pyongyang streets and North Korean students.
Daily Life in North Korea Appearing on TikTok Following YouTube
According to Radio Free Asia (RFA) on the 16th, a TikTok account called 'northkoreanlife' was created on the 10th.
The first post on the account is a 17-second video showing Pyongyang Station, which surpassed 400,000 views within six days of being uploaded. In addition, a total of 17 videos have been posted under titles such as 'There are many video games on North Korean cell phones,' 'Beautiful North Korean residents,' and 'Beautiful mountains of North Korea.' Among these, the most viewed post is a video capturing a morning walk in North Korea, which has exceeded 17 million views.
Most of the videos show North Korean scenery with short English subtitles and little other explanation. Notably, there was also a video filming vehicles driving on North Korean streets. The video included subtitles stating, "Many people think there are no cars in North Korea, but in reality, we have many cars like Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Hyundai."
Lee Hyun-seung, a researcher at the Global Peace Foundation who defected from North Korea in 2014 and now resides in the United States, told RFA, "This is the first time videos about daily life in North Korea have been posted on TikTok," but he also assessed that "it could be a propaganda account aimed at dispelling the perception that North Korea’s internal situation is difficult."
He added, "Even if the account is operated by foreigners living inside North Korea who have internet access, the videos posted on the account must go through censorship by the North Korean authorities."
North Korean YouTubers Doing PT and Reading Harry Potter... "Feels Like a Well-Prepared Play"
Before TikTok, North Korean YouTubers had already attracted attention by posting videos about daily life in Pyongyang on YouTube. Last year, the YouTube channel 'Sally Parks' featured an 11-year-old girl named Song-a living in Pyongyang, who gained attention as a 'North Korean kids YouTuber.' In the videos, Song-a revealed that her favorite book is 'Harry Potter' and visited the Munsu Water Park in North Korea.
North Korean YouTuber 'Yumi' also shared recent scenes of Pyongyang, saying, "Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been no opportunities to visit North Korea for several years, so you might be curious about Pyongyang." Yumi showed herself enjoying rides at the Pyongyang Nungna People's Amusement Park and taking PT classes at a fitness center on Tongil Street in the Nakrang District.
However, the U.S. CNN pointed out that these videos are "propaganda videos aimed at renewing the international image of North Korea." Park Sung-chul, a researcher at the North Korean Human Rights Information Center, criticized, "(These videos) seem like a well-prepared play by the North Korean regime," and added, "They do not reflect the ordinary lives of North Korean residents."
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