MOVIES SHOWN IN NORTH KOREA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A008100460002-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 9, 2008
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: October 3, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2008/01/09: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA008100460002-3
REPORT FORMATION REPORT
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This material contains information affecting the National Defense of the United States within the meaning of the lapionage Laws, Title
18, U.S.C. Seca. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
REPORT
SUBJECT Movies Sh
own in No
rth Korea
DATE DISTR.
3 October 1955
NO. OF PAGES
2
DATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
REQUIREMENT NO.
REFERENCES
RD
DATE ACQUIRED
This is UNEVALUATED
Information
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SOURCE EVALUATIONS ARE DEFINITIVE. APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE,
movies shown in North Korea fell Tntto two categories,
with scenes of North Korean Peoples' Army personnel, the field activities
of the Chinese Communist Forces, and. the erection of bridges and homes by
engineers, Public reaction to both kinds of mov,;.Fes depended. upon the
political sympathies of the viewers a Communists generally received the
movies with bursts of applause, showing genuine interest and ostensibly
accept:Lng the stories presented as being true, Ant;.-Communists, who
went to the moves for lack of something better to do, were generally
not interes*t..ed in 'he story, nor were they swayed by the propaganda line
which was -P.nterwover, into the scenario, People who had some knowledge
of the West were :Lx;cli.ned to laugh at the stories presented in the movies.
documentary and those produced to amuse and entertain. The documentary
films were released in the form of news reels and usually were concerned
2. Some typical movies shown are d.eorsrtbed as follows
"SS CHANCSU Bound For The Port of Marudoru"
This Soviet-produced ftlm was shown 7 hp plot of the story 25X1
is concerned wLth the merchant ship, S8 CHANr8U, fully ladened with re-
lief and aid. goods from Russia which is proceeding to the port of Marudoru.
The vessel is attacked by a cruising United States submarine and is destroyed.
"Meeting on the Elbe River"
This So-riet-prod: -.f--d f-1 was shown) C:t tells the story
of 'ermany at '.hF, Lme of her surrender when the couiY ry was divided and
occupied by R ..ss:.an and. Allied armies. Russian and Amer .can forces were
friendly and fo, gh^ s d.e by side to defeat the:.r -orimon roe, %ermany.
Every effort to :r ngthen the bond.s of friendanl.p b tweeen Russians and
Americans was exer.sed by the Russians, Then tnE States forces
dispatched a woman agent: to the Russian Military Sr:: 'tor charged with
ferreting out a:l.lt,ary secrets, Since the Ru.sslan's were only desirous
of establishing a peaceful Germany, however, there werF~ no military,
secrets to be learred0
Approved For Release 2008/01/09: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA008100460002-3
 Approved For Release 2008/01/09: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA008100460002-3
C -0 -N-F..I -D,E-N-T.-I -A-L
. One movie produced. by the Chinese Communist Forces, which was shown
told the story of a woman agent dispatched by Nationalist
.. .na to work in a factory in Peiping. Impressed with the sincerity of
purpose of the Chinese Communist regime., she undergoes a change of heart
and turns herself in to Communist authorities. She then becomes a loyal
supporter of the regime.
4. Dramatic presentations are rigidly restricted. Not only the ideas but
also the wording of the scenarios must conform to the current political
concepts accepted by the regime and. words considered offensive because
they are in common usage in South Korea are struck out. Operatic pr
sentations are favored by the government in preference to the drama.
Comment. This is an attempt on the part of the government
o completely eradicate the production of drama., at least in its
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Approved For Release 2008/01/09: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA008100460002-3