Recreational Reading in North Korea

North Korean policymakers have always invested significant efforts in the production, dissemination, and promotion of creative writings carrying heavy didactic messages. According to official propaganda, the North Korean masses widely read and appreciate these texts. However, the actual status of books in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) remains unclear. The present article attempts to assess this status based on a corroborative and critical analysis of surveys of North Korean defectors, testimonies of foreign visitors to the DPRK, and written materials. The author outlines the major factors influencing North Korean mass readership in both positive and negative ways, describing specifics of the North Korean culture of recreational reading and investigates the correspondence of this culture with the officially promoted attitude to books.