Pororo back on North’s TV screens

Pororo, a popular South Korean animated character, first appeared on North Korean TV in 2014. [JOONGANG PHOTO]

Pororo, a popular South Korea animated character, appeared Thursday on Korean Central TV, the state-run broadcaster of North Korea. KCTV was airing a special program introducing Pyongyang Children’s Department Store. One of mothers watching children at a playground inside the store was spotted on camera with a bag with a Pororo doll attached to it.

This was the second time Pororo appeared on KCTV. Pororo was first spotted in 2014, when a playground slide decorated with the character was broadcast unedited. This was during a report on a childcare facility in Pyongyang, which North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was visiting.

Pororo’s relationship with the North dates back to 2005, when Pororo’s production company Iconix had a business relationship with a North Korean animator. Iconix and the North Korean company produced seasons one and two of the animated series “Pororo the Little Penguin.” The North Korean company produced animations based on scenarios and characters designed by Iconix.

BY CHUN SU-JIN [kim.yuna1@joongang.co.kr]