SEOUL, South Korea — As a math professor in North Korea, Jang Se-yul was among the nation’s relatively¹ privileged classes; he got to sit in special seats in restaurants and on crowded trains, and more important in a country where many go hungry, was given priority for government food rations². Then he risked it all — for a soap opera from South Korea.

韩国首尔——作为朝鲜的一名数学教授，张世悦（Jang Se-yul，音）在这个国家属于相对的特权阶层；他可以在餐馆和拥挤不堪的火车上享受专座，更重要的是，在一个许多人需要忍受饥饿的国家里，他可以优先获得政府的食品配给。但是后来，他甘愿冒失去这一切的风险，只为一部来自韩国的肥皂剧。

The temptation in this case was “Scent³ of a Man,” an 18-episode drama about the forbidden love between an ex-convict and his stepsister. A graduate student had offered him the bundle of banned CDs smuggled⁴ into the North and, too curious to resist, Mr. Jang and five other professors huddled⁵ in one of their homes binge watching until dawn. They were careful to pull the curtains to escape the prying⁶ eyes of neighbors taught to turn in their fellow citizens for seditious activities. But they were caught anyway and demoted to manual labor⁷ at a power plant.

诱惑他的是一部18集的连续剧——《男人的香气》(Scent of a Man)，剧情涉及一名前罪犯和随母亲嫁入他家的妹妹之间的禁忌之爱。一名研究生给了他一捆走私至朝鲜的违禁光盘，因为好奇，张世悦和另外五名教授没能抵挡住诱惑，他们挤在其中一人的家中，一口气看到了天亮。他们谨慎地拉上了窗帘，以防止邻居们的窥探，因为政府教导民众要告发从事煽动性活动的其他公民。不过他们还是被抓到了，并被降职到一家发电站从事体力劳动。Mr. Jang said they most likely escaped prison only because they paid bribes⁸, but facing a lifetime of social stigma⁹ — and having had a glimpse of the comforts of South Korea in “Scent of a Man” — he decided¹⁰ to defect. He now leads a defectors’ group that sends soap operas and other entertainment to the North to try to empower people to demand an end to authoritarian¹¹ rule.

张世悦说，他们没有坐牢很可能只是因为行了贿。由于自己将在社会上面临一生的污点，而且又在《男人的香气》中领略了韩国的舒适生活，他决定逃离朝鲜。他现在是一个脱北者团体的负责人，该组织把肥皂剧和其他娱乐节目送到朝鲜，促使人们提出结束独裁统治的要求。

“I am sure these soaps have an impact on North Koreans, and I am the proof,” he said. “In the future, if they spread, they can even help foster anti-government movements. That’s why the North Korean authorities are so desperate to stop them from spreading.”

“我相信这些肥皂剧会对朝鲜人产生影响，我本人就是证明，”他说。“未来，如果它们得到传播，甚至可以激发反政府活动。这就是朝鲜当局不顾一切地阻止它们传播的原因。”

The decidedly lowbrow dramas — with names like “Bad Housewife” and “Red Bean Bread” — have, in fact, become something of a cultural Trojan horse, sneaking¹² visions of the bustling¹³ South into the tightly controlled, impoverished¹⁴ North alongside the usual sudsy fare of betrayals, bouts¹⁵ of ill-timed amnesia¹⁶ and, at least once, a love affair with an alien.

这些明显很俗气的剧集——它们被冠以“不良主妇”(Bad Housewife)和“甜甜圈”(Red Bean Bread)这样的剧名——实际上已经成了一种文化上的特洛伊木马，除了司空见惯的背叛剧情、不合时宜的失忆桥段，以及至少在一部剧中出现过的人类与外星人的爱情故事，它们还把有关繁华韩国的影像偷偷送到了受到严格管控的贫穷的朝鲜。

North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, has issued increasingly pointed¹⁷ warnings to his subjects about the “poisonous elements of capitalism¹⁸” crossing China’s border with the North, tempting¹⁹ even his Communist elite²⁰. Defectors say there has been a severe crackdown on smugglers, and in the fall, South Korean intelligence reported hearing that Mr. Kim was so shaken by the spread of the soaps that he ordered the execution of 10 Workers’ Party officials accused of succumbing²¹ to the shows’ allure²², according to lawmakers who had been briefed on the matter at a parliamentary hearing.

朝鲜领导人金正恩(Kim Jong-un)向臣民们发出了越来越有针对性的警告，称从中朝边境流入的“资本主义毒素”甚至让共产主义精英都受到了诱惑。脱北者称，走私者受到了严厉打击。在议会的听证会上听取了有关情况的韩国议员们说，去年秋天，韩国情报部门称，他们听说金正恩因为肥皂剧的蔓延而震怒，下令处决了10名被指受到这些剧集诱惑的劳动党(Workers’ Party)官员。

Few people outside North Korea think the TV adventures of the lust-driven and lovelorn could lead to the overthrow²³ of the Kim family dynasty, which has survived for decades despite international isolation²⁴ and sanctions. But the infiltration²⁵ of the dramas into even elite circles, despite the threat of prison or worse, is a potent²⁶ indication of the challenges Mr. Kim faces in a globalized world. (The swift arrival in the North of at least some bootleg copies of “The Interview,” the comedy that North Korea viewed as an “act of war,” is another.)

在朝鲜之外，几乎没人认为那些陷入感情纠葛的角色在电视上的喜怒哀乐会颠覆金氏王朝。尽管在国际上受到孤立并遭受制裁，金氏王朝已然存活了几十年。但就连权贵阶层的圈子也遭到了韩剧的渗透，哪怕可能面临着监禁或更严重的后果。这有力地证明了金正恩在全球化的世界中面对的种种挑战。（电影《采访》(Interview)的盗版迅速进入朝鲜是又一例证。这部喜剧被朝鲜视作“战争行为”。）

Since he came to power in 2011, Mr. Kim has struggled to open the North just enough to keep his top loyalists happy, plying²⁷ them with imported goods, while maintaining control in a country where government-installed intercoms in every home still blare reminders²⁸ of required ideological²⁹ education classes. He allowed an estimated two million people, close to 10 percent of the population, to own cellphones, but ensured they could not call abroad. And, despite a crackdown, the country has seemed unwilling³⁰, or unable, to fully³¹ dismantle³² the smuggling³³ networks that bring in not only banned soap operas, movies and K-pop videos, but also much-needed trade.

自2011年掌权以来，金正恩一直艰难地把朝鲜的开放程度限制在让最忠诚的支持者满意的范围内，定期向他们提供进口商品，与此同时在这个国家，政府安装的内部通话系统仍然播放着人们必须了解的意识形态教育内容。他允许约10%的人口，即200万人拥有手机，但又确保他们不能与国外通话。此外，尽管采取了打击行动，这个国家似乎不愿或者无法彻底消灭走私的网络，这个走私网络不仅带来了被禁的肥皂剧、电影和韩国流行音乐视频，也带来了急需的贸易。

Defectors say the soaps have had an outsize impact, less for their often outlandish plots than their portrayals³⁴ of the creature comforts of South Korea — a direct contradiction to decades of indoctrination about the inferiority of the South, and capitalism. It was those portraits of wealth, Jeon Hyo-jin said, that inspired her to make the dangerous decision to flee in 2013 at the age of 18.

脱北者称，肥皂剧的影响力非常大，主要原因并不是离奇的剧情，而是剧中描述的韩国物质上的富足——与几十年来有关韩国和资本主义的低劣灌输截然相反。全孝珍（Jeon Hyo-jin，音）说，正是这些关于富足生活的刻画，促使她做出了危险的决定，在2013年逃离了朝鲜，那一年她18岁。

“The kitchens with hot and cold tap water, people dating in a cafe, cars clogging³⁵ streets, women wearing different clothes each day — unlike us who wore the same padded jacket, day in day out,” said Ms. Jeon, who lives in Seoul. “Through the dramas, I learned how strange my own country was, how full of lies.”

“厨房有冷热自来水，男女在咖啡馆约会，街上塞满了车，女人每天换衣服——不像我们，成天穿着一样的棉服，”眼下在首尔生活的全女士说。“看着这些电视剧，我知道了自己的国家是多么地奇怪，充满了谎话。”

North Korea is one of the last frontiers for South Korea’s soap operas, which have found growing audiences worldwide, including in the United States and in such unlikely places as Cuba. The reasons for the widespread appeal are not entirely³⁶ clear. Some people credit their emotionally charged plots; others the enviable fashions that are part of the “Korean Wave.”

韩国肥皂剧正在世界范围内赢得越来越多的观众，包括在美国，甚至是古巴这样意想不到的地方，而朝鲜属于它们进军的最后一块前沿。如此广泛流行背后的原因并不十分清楚，一些人将其归结于剧情跌宕起伏；还有一些人觉得是令人艳羡的“韩流”时尚风格。

But in North Korea, defectors say, the reasons are obvious. The two Koreas share an ancient culture and language. And what counts as entertainment north of the border is severely³⁷ limited, especially since all TVs and radios are preset to receive only state broadcasts.

不过脱北者表示，韩国肥皂剧在朝鲜受欢迎的理由不言而喻。朝韩两国拥有共同的古老文化和语言。在边界线以北的朝鲜，所谓的娱乐屈指可数，尤其是因为所有的电视机与收音机都经过了预先设置，只能接收官方播送的信号。

“In North Korean movies,” said Ms. Jeon, “it’s all about loyalty³⁸ to the leader and the party; the state before love. You should be ready to die for the leader, blah blah. In South Korean dramas, it was different. I found a whole new world there.”

“在朝鲜影片里，”全女士说，“描绘的全都是对领袖和党的忠诚，国家要高于爱情。你应该时刻准备为领袖牺牲之类的。韩国电视剧就完全不一样。我在里面发现了一个全新的世界。”

Most of the border trade is driven by money, defectors said, not ideology³⁹, but some defectors and pro-democracy groups also help arrange for the contraband⁴⁰ material to be smuggled into the North.

脱北者称，两国间多数边境贸易活动的驱动因素是经济利益，并非意识形态。但也有部分脱北者和亲民主团体，会协助安排将这类违禁品偷运到朝鲜。

The flow of entertainment began in the 1990s with the first real fissures⁴¹ in the North’s almost impregnable information blockade. In the face of a devastating⁴² famine, desperate North Korean authorities began turning a blind eye to people crossing into China to seek food and other goods to sell at home.

娱乐作品的流入始于上世纪90年代。那时候，朝鲜几乎密不透风的信息封锁出现了第一丝真正的裂缝。在毁灭性的饥荒面前，陷入绝境的朝鲜当局开始对越境进入中国，寻找食物等可以在本国贩售的物品的那些人睁一只眼闭一只眼。

Foreign video tapes, CDs and DVDs, as well as cheap Chinese devices to play them, quickly became black market best-sellers.

外国录像带、CD和DVD，以及中国生产的廉价播放设备，很快成为了黑市上的热销产品。

Recognizing the danger, Mr. Kim’s father, Kim Jong-il, who died in 2011, set up swat teams that barged into homes, cutting off the electricity before entering to prevent viewers from removing discs from their DVD players. But defectors say the suppliers have worked hard to foil inspectors⁴³, importing battery powered DVD players as well as more easily hidden flash drives.

意识到其中的风险后，金正恩已于2011年去世的父亲金正日(Kim Jong-il)建立了搜查民宅的突击队。他们会在闯入之前切断电源，以防偷看的人把碟片从DVD机中取出。不过，根据脱北者的描述，为了糊弄搜查人员，供应商使出了浑身解数，偷运了使用电池的DVD机，还有更容易藏起来的闪存盘。

“It’s a cat-and-mouse game,” said Chung Kwang-il, another defector, who runs a smuggling operation. “These days, they call me to ask for specific soaps and K-pop music videos so they can beat competition in the markets. It’s not a one-way flow anymore.”

“这是个猫鼠游戏，”经营着走私生意的脱北者郑光日（Chung Kwang-il，音）说。“如今，他们会给我打电话，点名要带某些肥皂剧和韩国流行音乐的视频，这样才能在市场竞争中取胜。这已经不是单向流动了。”

Analysts⁴⁴ and defectors alike say there are limits to how much outside entertainment can accomplish. A recent study by Seoul National University’s Institute for Peace and Unification of 149 recent defectors showed that more than eight in 10 had been exposed to South Korean movies or songs before fleeing the North. But most of them lived in areas close to China, where it is easier for smugglers to maneuver⁴⁵, and it is unclear how widely such entertainment has spread.

分析人士与脱北者均表示，境外娱乐作品能取得的成效是有限的。首尔大学统一和平研究所(Institute for Peace and Unification)近期以149名脱北者为对象开展的一项研究显示，逾80%的人在逃离朝鲜之前接触过韩国的电影或歌曲。不过，他们当中，多数人当初居住在靠近中国的区域，那里比较便于偷运者施展神通。而且，此类娱乐作品的覆盖面究竟有多广，也没有定论。

Still, the defectors say that the soaps are a potent tool for exposing North Koreans to the outside world after years of mixed results from official psychological warfare⁴⁶ that included shortwave radio broadcasts and propaganda messages blared over the border from loudspeakers in the South.

虽说如此，脱北者还是认为，对于让朝鲜民众接触外部世界来说，肥皂剧是一种强有力的手段；而韩国官方多年来的心理战取得的结果则是好坏参半。韩国官方的心理战包括，制作短波广播节目，以及在韩国临近边境的地区设立扬声器，大声播放宣传内容。

For some North Koreans, the emotional tug⁴⁷ of the soaps was powerful enough to change their lives, forever.

对一些朝鲜人而言，韩国肥皂剧强烈的情感号召力足以改变他们的生活，而且是永久性的。

Kim Seung-hee, 24, is one. She watched her first drama, “Stairway to Heaven,” courtesy of soldiers who asked to use her home for safe watching, and was hooked immediately, drawn⁴⁸ not only to South Korea’s freedoms, but also to the promise of love in a more open society.

24岁的金崇熙（Kim Seung-hee，音）就是这样的一个例子。她看的第一部韩国电视剧是《天国的阶梯》(Stairway to Heaven)，因为有几名军人为了安全看片而借用了她的住所。她马上就被迷住了，不仅是韩国的种种自由，还有在一个更开放的社会里收获爱情的诱惑。

“South Korean men in the films had such good manners toward women, unlike North Korean men who like to order us around,” she said. “It made me yearn⁴⁹ for South Korea, dreaming of meeting such a man.”

“片子里的韩国男人对女人非常地礼貌，不像那些喜欢对我们呼来喝去的朝鲜男人，”她说。“这让我对韩国心生渴望，梦想着遇见这样的一个男人。”