The North Korean studio that has animated a Christmas film and Italian cartoons

Analysis

The North Korean studio that has animated a Christmas film and Italian cartoons

Newly sanctioned SEK Studio has worked with South Korean and European artists for decades, raising money for Pyongyang

Benjamin R. Young January 19, 2022

The North Korean studio that has animated a Christmas film and Italian cartoons

KCTV | A fresco of the long-running North Korean cartoon "Squirrel and Hedgehog" in Wonsan

North Korean animation was thrust into the spotlight last month after the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Pyongyang’s SEK Studio. “Seemingly fueled by the desire for unreasonably low-cost labor, foreign media companies continue to subcontract animation work to SEK Studio,” the department said in a statement.

SEK Studio has been involved in at least 1,200 different films and television shows, according to IMDB, and it may have helped animate well-known American products like “The Simpsons” via South Korean subcontractors. North Korean talent may have even contributed to “The Lion King,” “Pocahontas” and others.

About the Author

Benjamin R. Young

Benjamin R. Young is an Assistant Professor of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness at VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University). He is the author of Guns, Guerillas, and the Great Leader: North Korea and the Third World (Stanford University Press, 2021). He received his Ph.D. from The George Washington University in 2018. He has previously taught at the U.S. Naval War College and Dakota State University. He has published peer-reviewed articles on North Korean history and politics in a number of scholarly journals and is a regular contributor to NK News.

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