North Korea lambasts artists, filmmakers for in a so-called 'ideological struggle session'

In yet another crackdown on diverse voices, North Korean authorities conducted what they called an “ideological struggle session” for the various workers and artists from the country’s movie industry. According to Daily NK, the hermit nation claimed that sessions like these were “important since non-socialist elements have infiltrated films produced in the country”.

“Earlier this month, a closed-door ideological struggle session on the non-socialist phenomena in the film sector was held with all cadres, workers, and artists of the General Directorate of State Films,” a source in Pyongyang told the Daily NK.

The source who revealed the details from the session on condition of anonymity said that the North Korean officials condemned the “non-socialist elements” that are featured in costumes and plots of the movies.

What happened at the meeting

As per the report, the meeting was organised by the Central Committee of the Propaganda and Agitation Department of the Workers’ Party of Korea.

“Earlier, the party committee of the General Directorate of State Films and affiliated state security officials had issued a report on the non-socialist phenomena in the film sector. The Supreme Leader [Kim Jong Un] was concerned about the issue, so the Central Committee’s Propaganda and Agitation Department organized the collective ideological struggle session,” the source averred.

During the meeting, the officials lambasted the filmmakers for introducing “foreign elements” into films.

“Hoping that workers in the film industry would develop films in the Juche-style, we gave them the opportunity to watch unique foreign films and dramas, but this seems to have become a poison."

“The blatant inclusion of non-socialist elements banned by the state in films is tantamount to disregarding party policy and directly challenging the Workers’ Party,” the officials added, insisting that such acts will be strongly punished.

But they did get punished 

During the meeting, the officials of both departments listed out the names of several filmmakers and artists that they believed were involved in the non-socialist phenomenon and said that “they are guilty of desecrating our films and art.”

“Unbeknownst to us, the enemy’s black clouds and seductive spirits first reached the creators and artists of film and art,” the officials exclaimed. “We should have ruthlessly nipped the black sprouts in the bud from the beginning, but they have grown and reached the extreme,” the furthered.

The source told the DailyNK that after the struggle session, it was announced that “more than a dozen workers and artists in the film sector would be dismissed, suspended and revolutionized.”

With inputs from agencies.