The Kim family has always placed a high priority on making movies. I believe it started out as a propaganda angle, as it has been in most communist countries (well...anywhere, really) and has sense moved onto full on fandom. The DPRK spends a good chunk of change on film production. Kim Jong-Il went so far as to kidnap a South Korean film director and actress.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Abduction_of_Shin_Sang-ok_...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_North_Korea