Netflix (the real one) isn’t too anxious about the so-called “Netflix of North Korea” that was announced last week.
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It’s here: Manbang, the Netflix of North Korea.
A programme introducing the service that aired on Korean Central Television (KCTV) last week said it was available to any institute, company or household that subscribes to North Korea’s state-operated intranet.
Set up in 2000, the intranet only allows access to selected, government-approved websites and mostly functions as a communication platform between government agencies, universities, industry and commerce. While the western world hasn’t yet sussed out the full slate of content offered by Manbang, the service reportedly carries English and Russian language lessons, state-sanctioned TV programs, propoganda films, and updates about the Dear Leader himself. It doesn’t boast quite as much content as Netflix does, however: Users can watch documentaries and five TV channels on demand. Plus, despite the eyebrow-raising name and all the “Manbang and Chill” memes already flooding the internet, the thing I found to be truly entertaining is Netflix actually updating their Twitter Bio to “Manbang Knockoff”.
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This service is being considered as Netflix’s competitor in the region; however, it won’t have the same content as that offered by the U.S. streaming giant.
