Jeong Haneul

Jeong Haneul (, born 1994) is a South Korean YouTuber and film director. A former North Korean soldier serving in the Korean People's Army, he defected to the South in August 2012. After moving to South Korea, he started a YouTube channel called Bukshital TV and began working in the film industry. He made his directorial debut with the 2024 short film Two Soldiers , which was based on his personal experiences in North Korea.

Life and career North Korea Jeong Haneul was born in 1994 in Hamhung, North Korea.

Jeong was severely malnourished during his time in the military. He weighed only when he first arrived in the South. According to Jeong, his squadron leader pressured him to steal from locals to eat, and threatened him with violence if he refused. Jeong became disillusioned with North Korean life, questioning why leaders like Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un appeared well-fed while ordinary soldiers went hungry. He decided to defect after reading a pamphlet sent over the border by the South Korean military that said, "The Republic of Korea is an economic powerhouse with abundant electricity and lush forests".

South Korea After defecting to South Korea, Jeong lived in Hanawon until 2013. He began working at various jobs such as construction sites and chicken slaughterhouses. He tried to live in a seminary, but struggled with the prayer routine. He lived in various boarding houses until 2015, when he became eligible for a rental home after turning 20. He continued to work various jobs that he found unsatisfactory. He began university in 2017 and studied political science and diplomacy at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. During this time, he visited over 20 other countries. On the channel, the two make videos about life in North Korea and their experiences in the military. They also invite other defectors to speak on the channel and share their stories. His channel gained widespread popularity in the 2020s, which he attributed to South Koreans spending more time online due to the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea. The film was published by the Unification Media Group, a South Korean company in support of Korean reunification. The purpose of the film was to showcase the hardships of North Korean soldiers as well as to illustrate the inequalities of the North Korean caste system, called songbun. The film features an abusive officer named Jin Chul, who was inspired by a schoolmate of Jeong's from a higher caste. Parts of the film's story were intentionally exaggerated to illustrate a point about the discrimination inherent in songbun policy. Jeong has stated that his dream is to become president of the Pyongyang Film and Drama University after Korean reunification.

Filmography