The last decade of Kim Jong Il’s rule brought many changes to North Korean mass culture, the most significant of which was the introduction of a new type of TV serials.

Unlike the serials of the past such as “Star of Korea” (1980-1987) or “Nation and Destiny” (1992-2002), which consisted of several films only loosely connected to each-other, the serials of the 2000s were closer to classic TV dramas, in which one story unfolds over many episodes.

The new TV dramas were a real breakthrough. The previous favorites of the North Korean cultural scene, regular feature films, had restricted filmmakers