According to an anonymous qoute by a South Korean intelligence official in the Choson Ilbo:
“Especially, North Korea developed its own DVD player in 2006 with a view to developing its own IT industry, this ironically provided momentum for the spread of South Korean soap operas.”
I had assumed the DPRK imported DVD players.
Read the full article here:
Pyongyang Bids Korean Wave to Recede
Choson Ilbo
12/26/2008
Yes, but some North Korean engineer was probably executed because he refused to relinquish his right to this “invention” to the Dear Leader. After all, North Koreans have reverse-engineered all manner of machines and then claimed the patent.
Here are some North Korean DVD players. “Hana Electronics JVC is a 50/50 joint venture between Phoenix Commercial Ventures Ltd and the Trading Department of the DPRK Ministry of Culture, and the Korea Committee for the Promotion of External Economic Cooperation (CPEEC), which reports to directly to the Cabinet.”
Phoenix Commercial Ventures is a British company which has investments in North Korea. Leonid Petrov’s website has a link to them on the sidebar.