Child YouTuber in North Korea's charm offensive     DATE: 2024-05-29 15:13:52

Song-A,<strong></strong> an 11-year-old North Korean vlogger, introduces her favorite book, 'Harry Potter,' in her first video uploaded on April 26. Screenshot from the Sary Voline YouTube channel
Song-A, an 11-year-old North Korean vlogger, introduces her favorite book, "Harry Potter," in her first video uploaded on April 26. Screenshot from the Sary Voline YouTube channel

By Lee Yeon-woo

An 11-year-old vlogger whose favorite book is "Harry Potter," written by J.K. Rowling, and who speaks fluent English is not the sort of person you can see often in North Korea. However, on the YouTube channel, "Sary Voline," you can.

Her YouTube channel is filled with four propaganda videos describing North Korea as a paradise for children, with plenty of amusement parks, children's hospitals and caring healthcare workers who came by her home when she and her other family members were infected with COVID-19.

Through her channel, Song-A introduces her "magnificent" life in Pyongyang in English with a fluent British accent. In the latest video uploaded on Tuesday, she said that Pyongyang citizens enjoy shaved ice, a traditional dessert with sweet toppings known in Korean as "bingsu," which is sold by street vendors all over the North's capital. She promised to introduce the best shaved ice shop to viewers who visit Pyongyang.

Song-A, an 11-year-old North Korean vlogger, introduces her favorite book, 'Harry Potter,' in her first video uploaded on April 26. Screenshot from the Sary Voline YouTube channel
Song-A claimed military doctors visited her home to deliver medicine when she and her family were infected with COVID-19. Screenshot from the Sary Voline YouTube channel

Song-A shared her quarantine experience after she was infected with COVID-19 to show off how North Korea effectively responded to the pandemic. In the video, two men in military uniform are seen with medicine. "Everything is under control as it used to be," she added with a grin.

Song-A's channel was started on Jan. 27. It has four video uploads and over 4,300 subscribers as of Thursday.

She claimed she learned English from her mother.

But Rep. Tae Yong-ho from the ruling People's Power Party (PPP) said in an interview with NK News that Song-A is the daughter of a North Korean diplomat who was once based in London.

Tae, also a former North Korean diplomat who served as minister at the North's embassy in London, said he worked with the young YouTuber's father, and that Song-A's British accent is the result of her time living in Britain.

North Korea's main reason to promote child YouTubers is known to be a way to dodge Google's internal policy. YouTube previously closed several channels run by North Korea such as "DPRK Today" and "Red Star TV," on the grounds that they propagated North Korea's political system with aggressive content in their videos.