The first Western computers brought into the North in 1981 were Japanese-made Z-80, although some citizens and special agencies had earlier brought into the country a few different models. The North imported a large number of Z-80s for the purpose of making book management automatic at the People's Grand Study Hall (equivalent to the Central National Library in the South).

North Korea's history of computer games began at this juncture, as the computers were accompanied by a variety of games. Right at that time, I was frequenting the People's Grand Study Hall to prepare my graduation thesis at Kim Il Sung University. Since the library was yet to open formally, I was able to indulge in computer games there.

Computer games spread across the country as many universities; Kim Il Sung University and Kim Chaek University of Technology among them; subsequently introduced computers. Before long, however, the authorities began to control computer games on the grounds that students played games produced in capitalist countries, merely as an entertainment, without being aware of their possible ill effects.

One of the quintessential game programs available then in the North was a Taekwondo (the Korean martial art of empty-handed self-defense) game, the title of which I'm unable to remember. A guy, whose girlfriend was kidnapped by a gang, had to beat his enemies in their den one by one to rescue his fiance. So well was the program prepared and so hard, yet so fascinating was it made to get to the goal, that once a person started it, he or she could hardly stop until they had finished it.

The crux of the matter was that the young man of justice symbolized a capitalist society and the gang a Communist group. Looking at the program again after hearing the argument, the gangsters, to our astonishment, were red-faced and had horns on the head, as Communists are sometimes depicted in the South. When the hero finally managed to do away with all his enemies and rescue his girlfriend, he gave her a passionate kiss. Everyone might have revelled playing the game to the end just to watch this last scene.

The game could be seen as representing North Korean youths becoming men of justice and crushing communists. We thought of the game program merely as a pastime without thinking deep. After the program became controversial, we could comprehend some reason behind the authorities' argument. We were startled. Had someone really tried to make an issue out of it, we could have been subjected to self-criticism.

The party ordered an investigation of all computer game programs, stressing, "The enemies, using such a cunning method, are incessantly scheming to disrupt us from the inside." I didn't see the program again, nor could I see others playing the game, however I did play games devoid of ideological backgrounds. I understand it is still the policy to censored all games to this day.

(Cho Myung Chol, ex-professor at Kim Il Sung University.)