Aquariums of Pyongyang: The Movie

North Korean Human Rights transition into Korean pop culture took another step

The Aquariums of Pyongyang, by North Korean escapee Kang Cheol Hwan, gained fame as one of U.S. President George W. Bush’s favorite books. Mr. Bush is reported to have handed out copies of the book to staff and friends and invited Kang to the White House, three years ago, for a lengthy one-on-one chat.

Now, the story of Kang’s childhood in a North Korean punitive labor camp is scheduled to become a motion picture.

Kang says he was a victim of what human rights advocates describe as North Korea’s policy of “collective punishment.” He and his family were sent to the North’s infamous Yoduk labor camp in 1977, because of a suspected political offense by his grandfather.

Kang’s book describes the horrors he witnessed at Yoduk, including starvation, severe beatings and disease. He says it is long overdue for his story to be told on the big screen.

Next, Yodok Story, the Korean soap?