North Korea's censors endorse JK Rowling's Harry Potter books for their pioneering spirit

It has taken a while, but Harry Potter has cast a spell on one of the world’s most notorious dictatorships.

North Korea has embraced JK Rowling’s books 23 years after the first was released.

The country is known for its tight control over what literature citizens can read.

But now the country’s censors have endorsed the novels.

The North Korean regime, led by supreme leader Kim Jong-un (above left), is known for its tight control over what literature citizens can read. Censors said JK Rowling's books show 'the idea that children should pioneer their way with their own strength and ability'.

Before publication, books in North Korea have to go through the Joseon Writers’ Alliance, which requires they show support for the Workers’ Party of Korea’s policies.

Literature Newspaper, a mouthpiece of the Alliance, recently put out a statement in praise of Rowling’s seven-book fantasy series.

It stated: ‘Harry Potter shows the idea that children should pioneer their way with their own strength and ability.’

The North Korean regime, led by supreme leader Kim Jong-un, heavily regulates international content and bans foreign entertainment such as films and music, but wealthy, elite citizens can covertly access its through USB drives smuggled in to the country.