--- title: "Experts Say There’s Something Very Weird About North Korean YouTubers" description: "North Korea's government is desperately trying to appear more relatable to the outside world by grooming a number of YouTubers." date: "2023-02-06" modified: "2023-02-06" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/experts-weird-north-korean-youtubers" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "north korea" - "propaganda" - "the digest" - "YouTube" --- # Experts Say There’s Something Very Weird About North Korean YouTubers ![North Korea's government is desperately trying to appear more relatable to the outside world by grooming a number of YouTubers.]() *\Image: YuMi via YouTube\* ## Relatable North Korea's government is desperately trying to appear more relatable to the outside world with its own host of YouTubers. The talent appear in clearly scripted and awkward propaganda videos, [*CNN* reports](), sharing stories about what it's purportedly like living in the country. One video shows a YouTuber telling her audience about how her favorite book is "Harry Potter" — which is surprising, considering the country's strict restrictions on Western media. Another YouTuber appeared in a similarly stunted video. "This is milk flavor — the picture is so cute," she says, before biting into an ice cream cone. While these videos have only attracted tens of thousands of views and subscribers, experts tell *CNN* that it's pretty evident they're ploys to make life in North Korea appear more normal than it really is — a misleading picture being painted by the high-ranking officials who are likely behind the videos. ## The Rehearsal Park Seong-cheol, a researcher at the Database Centre for North Korean Human Rights, told *CNN* that the videos "look like a well-prepared play." A separate video shows one of the same YouTubers going for a dip at a water park with a wave pool. But in reality, the facility likely isn't accessible to the general public, and can only stay in operation infrequently given a severely underdeveloped infrastructure. "For example, the power supply in North Korea is not smooth enough to operate an amusement park, so I’ve heard that they would only operate it on the weekends or on a special day like when they film a video," Park told *CNN*. Blackouts and electricity shortages are commonplace. In fact, according to the report, only about a quarter of the population even have access to electricity. ## Tourism Boost In short, the lives portrayed in these YouTube videos are more than likely completely fabricated representations of daily life in the country. Ha Seung-hee, a research professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University, told *CNN* that the videos are likely an example of the North Korean government shifting towards new forms of propaganda, preparing for a new emphasis on tourism in a post-pandemic world. But whether the videos will really be able to fool savvy international viewers, of course, is anything but clear. **READ MORE:** [They eat ice cream and read ‘Harry Potter,’ but these North Korean YouTubers aren’t what they seem]() \[*CNN*\] **More on the country:** *[Only the Poorest People in North Korea Want to Live in the Tops of High-Rises]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()