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PoliticsNorth Korea

From North Korea, With Love

October 5, 2023

Recent years have seen some young North Korean defectors become social media stars in South Korea, only to reappear back home again as mouthpieces for the regime in Pyongyang. Were they abducted?

Image: tvf

It sounds like the plot of a thriller: Young Gen Zers defect from North Korea and become celebrated social media influencers in South Korea, finding new friends and starting new lives. In their posts, they describe everyday life under dictator Kim Jong Un and provide fascinating insights into one of the most isolated and secretive countries in the world. They also discuss their dramatic escapes.

 

Image: tvf

But then they suddenly drop out of sight — and reappear a short time later in North Korean propaganda videos, praising Kim Jong Un and his regime.

 

 

 

Image: tvf

 

And not only that: they purport to revile South Korea. What exactly is going on?

 

 

 

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