Seoul to host forum on N. Korean films

By Kim Young-gyo
SEOUL, Dec. 12 (Yonhap) -- An academic forum will be held next week to discuss
how North Korean films have changed since the communist regime first introduced
market-friendly reforms in July 2002, organizers said Friday.

The forum, titled "Economic Reforms of July 1, 2002 and North Korean Films," will
open on Wednesday, the government-funded Korean Film Council said.
After suffering devastating floods and famine in the mid-1990s, the North
officially espoused a market economy system in July 2002 by introducing
market-friendly reforms.
Although Pyongyang later tried to backtrack for fear of jeopardizing the
stability of its regime, a market-oriented trend has prevailed among North Korean
enterprises and households that have been given a freer hand in their commercial
activities.
"Since July 1, 2002, there has been an increase of new cultural attitudes (among
the North Korea people). In terms of the North Korean films, new standards for
critical evaluation have appeared," the council said in a statement.
"This forum is aimed at seeing how the economic reforms, considered to be a
'social quake' in North Korea, have made an impact on the North Korean people,
and how the repercussions are shown in the films. In addition, we want to discuss
how the changes in North Korean society and film will affect cultural exchanges
between the two Koreas," it said.
ygkim@yna.co.kr
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