Unconverted political prisoners, and inter-Korean romance, in DPRK fiction

Stories based (very) loosely on the real-life repatriations of prisoners from South to North became popular in the 2000s

Tatiana Gabroussenko January 31, 2020

Image: Provided by the author

In North Korea in the early 2000s, there was an upsurge in interest in art about South Korea. This was inspired by the rapprochement of the two Koreas, brought about by the Southern-initiated Sunshine Policy.

A popular theme was the repatriation from the South to the North of 63 unconverted North Korean prisoners and spies, which began in 2000 under the initiative of the Kim Dae-jung administration.

About the Author

Tatiana Gabroussenko

Tatiana Gabroussenko obtained her PhD in East Asian Studies at the Australian National University. She is currently a professor of North Korean studies at Korea University, Seoul. Her latest book Soldiers on the Cultural Front: Developments in the early history of North Korean literature and literary policy, was included in the Choice magazine list of Outstanding Academic Titles of 2012.

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