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South Korean to drop Sony film in North by balloon

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32 Comments
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Even if they paid $15 (or whatever it costs) for each copy, adding Korean subtitles is an adaptation of the film and would still be copyright infringement. Unless Sony has allowed this, I suspect it won't happen... at least not legally.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Why is this news agency so out of date? Most North Koreans have access to cheap Chinese made mobile notebook like players that have DVD-USB connections which were smuggled over from China. Nobody uses computers to play USB files. lol.. As in the poll of 28,000 North Korean defectors in South Korea indicates, at least 80% of North Koreans have watched South Korean shows, and even the North Korean elites watch secretly, every Korean and foreign dramas. But I do agree the movie Interview is a little different this time because the movie makes fun of the leader Kim, so whoever is caught with this film won't get a relatively light 6 months in a labor camp. Instead, they'll probably get death.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

They should drop NHK World's hidden DPRK economy documentary instead.

I don't see how "The Interview" would change the Kim family's personality cult...

Waste of time...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

It seems like a very bad idea to me. Rub salt in the wound and North Korea may react violently.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Stoking the fire.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

i'd like to get a copy if they could make it funny.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

It's a good idea.

Those North Koreans...

They just hate us 'cos they anus...

1 ( +3 / -2 )

and in retaliation Norh Korea will drop a Big Boy

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Yawn.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This is a tough one....On one hand we have the free speech activist, which I can understand.

Worst case Scenario..what happens if a child finds one of those discs and takes it home? Not all children will tell someone right away that they found something.. they might keep it to themselves for a while, especially if they have been told they can not have one. Mean while the police/army saw balloons in the area and are making home inspections for said contraband. They find it in a kids room....and of course they do not believe the parents..."What better place to hide something than in a kids room so you can claim you had no knowledge of it." Everyone is rounded up and sent to a camp.

What I am saying is who knows what they will do if they find someone with a disc. I would not want to be responsible for someone else being put in harms way.

This is a tough one......

2 ( +3 / -1 )

"North Korea's absolute leadership will crumble if the idolization of leader Kim breaks down," Park said by telephone.

Most idolization Kim at the point of a gun.

So sending the film will unlikely do anything to stop the idolization.

Just hope the north does not fire south and injury or kill some innocent person in responce.

.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Go for it. Let me it this way. Do you think the NK leadership will ignore this?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Some poor innocent people will die in a labor camp as a result of this, carrying to their grave the bad after-taste of a crappy comedy. Couldn't they send something better?

3 ( +2 / -0 )

Ask yourself why Kim Jong Un threatened war through the proxy group "Guardians of Peace" if "The Interview" was released. Ask yourself why he has ordered border security to keep this movie out of DPRK. It's the same reason any bully threatens violence- because he's afraid.

He might claim to be insulted, he might claim that the movie is disrespectful or whatever, but world leaders don't threaten violence over disrespect. World leaders don't seize movies because they're insulting. They do it when they're afraid of the movie.

I've read accounts from fugitives from North Korea who literally believe the Kim Jongs are gods who can read their minds. They're literally afraid to think criticism of the regime because they think somehow their leaders will know. An irreverent comedy about those leaders, no matter how low-brow it is, undermines that notion of infallibility. You can't find something infallible if you can laugh at it. And that's why Kim Jong Un is afraid of this movie. And that's why I have no problem with people who voluntarily choose to try and get it into DPRK. I don't believe the movie itself will create a revolution or undermine the regime. It doesn't have to. It just has to get people to laugh.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The man is a North Korean, I'm sure he understands the situation perfectly well.

There is something rather poetic about the idea - the fall of a regime at the hands of a balloon raid!

Can't see it having the effect he desires, but those touchy North Korean officials will go absolutely nuts if those USB's start touching down. I like that.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Ask yourself why Kim Jong Un threatened war through the proxy group "Guardians of Peace" if "The Interview" was released.

It hasn't been shown that Kim Jong Un was behind the GOP. That question needs to be answered before yours can even be asked.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Go ahead, drop them!

Then both of the guys with DVD players will be able to watch them.

Nobody else will.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

North Korea is not that backward actually.

While laptops are popular among the elite and upper middle class people in North Korea, many North Koreans are using desktops imported from China. Used desktop machines are smuggled in from China and they are very popular items in the black market. Those machines are not registered with the authority and people use them to listen to music, watch films and play games.

North Korean government is aware of this development and their are pushing Red Star OS (official Linux distro) which can be used to monitor internet usage.

Linux and Android are very popular in North Korea, they also run Windows programs using WINE.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Instant death sentence for anyone who picks it up.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I'll say one thing for the ROK; they produce some of the most hardcore, loopiest activists on the planet.

Dropping copies of this movie (in any format) is an idea so dumb that it beggars description. I can't even think of one good thing that could possibly come from the idea.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Imaging if some country has made a movie that assassinates the president of America and that movie was of course criticized by America. Then that country would drop the movie in America with balloons.. Instant war the next day. But now its all about the evil North Korea. Hypocrites.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

"A South Korean activist said Wednesday that he will launch balloons carrying DVDs of Sony’s “The Interview” toward North Korea to try to break down a personality cult built around dictator Kim Jong Un."

A more effective way to break down the personality cult built around Kim Jong Un would be to topple the North Korean government, which, I'm afraid would involve a military invasion and then massive assistance from what's left of South Korea, which would take a lot of damage from North Korean rockets...

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Activist Park Sang-hak said he will start dropping 100,000 DVDs and USBs with the movie by balloon in North Korea as early as late January. Park, a North Korean defector, said he’s partnering with the U.S.-based non-profit Human Rights Foundation, which is financing the making of the DVDs and USB memory sticks of the movie with Korean subtitles.

CIA operation as far as I understand ??

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

I'll say one thing for the ROK; they produce some of the most hardcore, loopiest activists on the planet.

Nice backhanded insult. Sorry to tell you, but most of those activists were North Koreans themselves who escaped and now wants to help liberate their families and friends left behind. But here you are, showing your open contempt because they are Koreans.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

That shortage of personal computers was my first thought, too. Paper works without high technology; so, why not an Anime comic book? Of course it would also give the movie due credit. If someone draws it, I would consider buying a copy and if enough others bought copies, there could also be a profit and some royalties to Sony.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Just to be clear about the amount of Internet access out of North Korea. There are currently 1024 IPv4 addresses, no known IPv6.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_in_North_Korea

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Humor is very cultural. North Koreans have been isolated for so long they would have trouble with South Korean humor, American humor is going to totally pass them by.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Might as well drop "Mars Attacks" on DPRK for all the good it would do.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

BBC and others reported that 3/4 of N Korean houses have no electricity connected. Can they afford batteries to run TV that is connected to DVD players?

I think N Korean people will appreciate if USA or S Korea balloned down kimuch because they can not eat DVD..

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Better to ship over balloons carrying raspberry PIs preloaded with various documentaries and youtube videos of cats :p if they see how the free world is actually controlled by pets they would surely riot :p

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Instant death sentence for anyone who picks it up.

My thoughts exactly. Not very well thought out, is it...?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Instant death sentence for anyone who picks it up.

I read this punixhment story when we heard Kim's uncle was fed to hungrydogs in a cage. Even peole can not read English, they get punishewd to death if they have any English written papers, etc.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

@magnus: Do Koreans know what is raspberry? Maybe you ask any ordinal Japanese if they know raspberry, too. Think some Oriental food so that they wouldnt throw away in theur outdoor toilet.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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