By Choi Sung-jin



A North Korean media outlet has recently used the popularity of some disaster films in South Korea to attack the Park Geun-hye administration.



"In South Korea these days, a couple of disaster movies are enjoying unusual popularity, drawing the attention of experts," said "Meari (Echo)," an Internet propaganda media outlet in North Korea, Thursday. "It is necessary to examine the cause of this unprecedented popularity of South Korean disaster films, which had been crowded out of the market by similar films produced in Hollywood."



The North Korea propaganda machine then introduced the story of one such South Korean disaster film, "Train to Busan," which drew audiences totaling 11.55 million people. "In this movie, the hero, when attacked by zombies during his ride on a high-speed train to Busan, fights a desperate battle to get out of the horrible misfortune," it said.



The media outlet also commented on another film, "Tunnel," saying it is the story of a man trapped in a tunnel that abruptly crumbles because of shoddy construction, and rescuers' efforts to save him.



"Experts attribute the popularity of these films to the fact they reflected the situations of South Korean society as they really are," Meari said. "They acidly exposed the inability of the conservative South Korean government as seen in their poor handling of the ferry Sewol's sinking and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome)."



Although the two films have different backgrounds, they both reproduced the Seoul government's utter inability in dealing with the Sewol incident and MERS, through the appearance of major characters, their images and speeches, the Internet organ said.



The media outlet then turned the film review into denunciation of the South Korean system. "By setting the hellish high-speed train and disastrous cave as basic stages, these films make audiences realize the serious situations and hopeless future facing South Korea, although their political leaders brag about high-speed growth and entry into the ranks of advanced countries," it said.



"Since Park Geun-hye took power, in particular, South Korea has become a hell in which humans cannot live. This is why disaster films, which had failed to draw people's attention in the past, are now enjoying unusual popularity."



