Laughing North Koreans: The Culture of Comedy Films - Paperback

by Immanuel Kim (Author)

This study analyzes North Korean comedy films from the late 1960s to present day. It examines the most iconic comedy films and comedians to show how North Koreans have enjoyed themselves and have established a culture of humor that challenges, subverts, and, at times, reinforces the dominant political ideology. The author argues that comedy films, popular comedians, and the viewers have an intricate interdependent relationship that shaped the film culture--the pre/post production of filmmaking, film-watching experience, and the legacies of actors--in North Korea.

Author Biography

Immanuel Kim is Korea Foundation and Kim-Renaud Associate Professor of Korean Literature and Culture Studies at The George Washington University.