Are South Korea’s Mokbang Videos Becoming A Trend In The North As Well?

Mokbang videos started in South Korea, with so-called “broadcast jockeys” filming themselves eating large amounts of a variety of foods for their online fans.

Surprisingly, the “eating broadcast” trend may have made its way to North Korea.

A video, which was taken by a visiting Singaporean filmmaker, was recently released, showing a young North Korean woman guide introducing several different dishes then eating the food in the way many South Korean “mokbang” stars do for their online subscribers, according to the news outlet UPI.

“It’s really delicious. Its my first time, trying out this kind of spaghetti,” the guide says in the video.

The guide is also reportedly seen eating a “North Korean pizza,” which comes with a kimchi topping. Pancakes, hamburgers and other dishes served in 12 different restaurants in Pyongyang were reportedly sampled in the video as well.

The North Korean woman’s video presentation was similar to that of South Korean broadcasters, according to Korean news outlet KBS. This detail brings light to reports of North Korea’s authorities losing control of the flow of outside information into the country.

29 percent of North Koreans reportedly listen to foreign radio broadcasts, according to U.S. Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues Robert King. Pirating South Korean television shows is also reportedly not uncommon, according to defectors.

“Mokbang” videos have become an industry of its own in South Korea.

While in South Korea, these videos encourage people who are eating alone to dine with the “broadcast jockey” they are following, in North Korea, the clips may serve a different purpose. This specific introduction of food could potentially promote North Korean tourism, straying from the reputation of North Korea being a “hermit country.”

The videos are not only a representation of the breaking down of information barriers, but are also a window into North Korean culture and how outside information and trends are processed. “Mokbang” videos bring about a sense of community in an online setting, something that’s rarely explored or documented in North Korean society.

These broadcasts bring about conversation among an online community, which is prevalent in the South Korean “mokbang” world.

South Korean “mokbang” star, The Diva, sits around answering questions from fans and discussing food for a couple hours after her video session is over, according to The Huffington Post. 

“Watching The Diva’s broadcasts is a bit like going to dinner with someone — and bringing the entire internet,” reported media outlet Kotaku.