March 19, 2024

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.

More articles by 'Tatiana Gabroussenko'

Newest North Korean film mimics South’s violent cinema, to disastrous results

Newest North Korean film mimics South’s violent cinema, to disastrous results

‘A Day and a Night’ attempts to distract youth from foreign films, but in the process undermines its propaganda message

Newest North Korean film mimics South’s violent cinema, to disastrous results
Tatiana Gabroussenko
Tatiana Gabroussenko January 8, 2024
How North Korean cinema betrays simmering resentment of country’s nouveau riche

How North Korean cinema betrays simmering resentment of country’s nouveau riche

2011 film uses story of a factory manager demoted to cobbler to critique rise of grassroots capitalism in country

How North Korean cinema betrays simmering resentment of country’s nouveau riche
Tatiana Gabroussenko
Tatiana Gabroussenko October 25, 2023
Why North Korean films depict foreigners as ditsy Kim family worshipers

Why North Korean films depict foreigners as ditsy Kim family worshipers

State narratives twist history to avoid glorifying outsiders, portraying even Soviet heroes as dependent on DPRK peers

Why North Korean films depict foreigners as ditsy Kim family worshipers
Tatiana Gabroussenko
Tatiana Gabroussenko July 17, 2023
Disappearing act: North Korea digitally scrubs lead actor from popular TV series

Disappearing act: North Korea digitally scrubs lead actor from popular TV series

Digital recasting of Choe Ung Chol after 20 years may have been triggered by romantic escapades and political missteps

Disappearing act: North Korea digitally scrubs lead actor from popular TV series
Tatiana Gabroussenko
Tatiana Gabroussenko April 5, 2023
The clumsy propaganda of North Korean radio plays

The clumsy propaganda of North Korean radio plays

Radio networks launched under Kim Jong Un try to win hearts and minds of South Koreans but are often comically inept

The clumsy propaganda of North Korean radio plays
Tatiana Gabroussenko
Tatiana Gabroussenko March 20, 2023
A kinder, gentler North Korea? How the DPRK’s popular culture embraced humanism

A kinder, gentler North Korea? How the DPRK’s popular culture embraced humanism

Amid unprecedented hardships, several films and dramas promoted a surprising spirit of acceptance and forgiveness

A kinder, gentler North Korea? How the DPRK’s popular culture embraced humanism
Tatiana Gabroussenko
Tatiana Gabroussenko January 23, 2023
International affairs: How North Korean films portray cross-cultural romance

International affairs: How North Korean films portray cross-cultural romance

North Korea remains an ethnocentric state in which a person of non-Korean blood can never be an equal member of society

International affairs: How North Korean films portray cross-cultural romance
Tatiana Gabroussenko
Tatiana Gabroussenko December 7, 2022
Why animal cruelty is commonplace in North Korean popular culture

Why animal cruelty is commonplace in North Korean popular culture

While violence against humans is rare in DPRK art, films show animals as soulless creatures whose pain does not matter

Why animal cruelty is commonplace in North Korean popular culture
Tatiana Gabroussenko
Tatiana Gabroussenko August 29, 2022
How North Korea is embracing more entertaining propaganda for the TikTok era

How North Korea is embracing more entertaining propaganda for the TikTok era

Mini documentaries and flashy missile launch videos show Pyongyang can adapt delivery, though messages remain the same

How North Korea is embracing more entertaining propaganda for the TikTok era
Tatiana Gabroussenko
Tatiana Gabroussenko August 12, 2022
City boy, country girl: How one North Korean film tackles the urban-rural divide

City boy, country girl: How one North Korean film tackles the urban-rural divide

The story of a rich Pyongyang heir who falls for a patriotic girl from the provinces frankly showcases social inequality

City boy, country girl: How one North Korean film tackles the urban-rural divide
Tatiana Gabroussenko
Tatiana Gabroussenko March 30, 2022
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