PYONGYANG, North Korea—Millions of North Koreans are now using mobile phones, and not just to make phone calls.
The Associated Press recently got a sneak peek at “Boy General,” the North’s hottest new game release, a spinoff of a new TV animation series that is both beautifully produced and genuinely fun to watch — suggesting Pyongyang is trying to win back an audience drawn to the banned Chinese and South Korean dramas that flow across its borders.
The app became an immediate hit after its September release, particularly in Pyongyang, where there are more mobile phones and a population that generally has more money and time to spend on leisure activities. The even more popular televised animation series returned to the airwaves in August and runs on Sunday evenings.
In the game, players are prompted to go on missions to defeat the enemies of the young general Swoeme, which means “Iron Hammer,” a brave warrior-commander of the Koguryo kingdom that lasted for about 700 years and ruled most of the Korean Peninsula and the heart of Manchuria until its downfall in AD 668.
The concept and design of “Boy General” are simple, and its map-like scenery is reminiscent of the “Minecraft” game. Since there is nothing like the App Store inNorth Korea, the most common way of getting the game appears to be sharing it over Bluetooth.
Games are not new to North Korean mobile phone users.
Not long after the use of mobile phones was opened up in 2009, some handsets came pre-installed with games such as “Tetris” or janggi, a chess-like game that is popular across East Asia. As phones and to a lesser extent tablets have become more sophisticated, so have the games available for North Koreans to enjoy.
With its state-of-the-art animation values, often beautiful artistry and entertaining characters and plot developments, the TV show has been a breath of fresh air forNorth Koreans, who are increasingly exposed to Chinese or South Korean entertainment. State-run TV is dominated by bland fare of old propaganda movies and news programs praising the country’s leadership.
“Boy General” may be North Korea’s answer to that challenge.
Both the TV series and the game clearly have the support of ruling regime. The TV show is a revamped and vastly improved version of a 50-episode cartoon that started in the 1980s and ran on and off until 1997. In November last year, leader Kim Jong Un himself ordered the production of the 50 new episodes from the April 26 Animation Studios. It’s not clear who designed the game version.
The political message remains strong.
For starters, there is the obvious analogy of Swoeme to leader Kim, who while still in his early 30s has among his many titles that of Supreme Commander of the Korean People’s Army. They also reinforce the official line that the nation must remain united against the constant threat of foreign invaders.
