They eat ice cream and read ‘Harry Potter,’ but these North Korean YouTubers aren’t what they seem

The young woman rifles through a fridge of popsicles, pulling out several to show the camera.

“This is milk flavor – the picture is so cute,” she says in English, pointing to the cartoon packaging with a smile. “And this is peach flavor.”

After finally selecting an ice cream cone, she bites into it, declaring: “The biscuit is very delicious.”

The four-minute video has racked up more than 41,000 views on YouTube, but this is no ordinary vlog. The woman, who calls herself YuMi, lives in North Korea, perhaps the world’s...