North Korea is leaking. We are getting a glimpse of that nation's literature, including science fiction. The founder of North Korea, Kim Il-sung, recognized the important role of propaganda and encouraged citizens to read Soviet literature and to write their own visions of a perfect world to be created under communism. His son Kim Jong-il, who ruled North Korea from 1997 to 2011, was a fan of science fiction and often referenced it in his speeches. He inspired North Korean writers to explore the genre. And we are starting to see the creative output that followed.
While the propaganda value of these science fiction stories is obvious, as they overwhelmingly depict North Korea as a heroic group of people working together to defeat evil forces, usually the United States. But if you took the names of the nations out, you will recognize the classic "good vs. evil" plot of so many familiar tales. And the stories are good. Change Course (Hangno rǔl pakkura) by Yi Kŭmchǒl tells the story of a plane with a bomb aboard that will detonate if the aircraft drops below 10,000 feet. The 2004 story may remind you of the 1994 movie Speed, but there is little chance that Yi had seen it, and the resolution is very different. North Korean scientists save the day, which is typical of the utopian spirit in such stories. Read about the science fiction produced by North Korea at Ars Technica. -via Metafilter