A South Korean scholar says more North Koreans are using the latest mobile phones and watching South Korean TV dramas and movies.

Professor Kang Dong-wan at Dong-A University on Tuesday released the results of his in-depth interviews with about 20 North Koreans that he met in China, during a forum hosted by North Korea Strategy Center.

Kang said the latest touch-screen mobiles phones are traded at 700 U.S. dollars among North Koreans and they often use mobile phones even outside Pyongyang for business.

The professor said since the mid-2000s, most North Koreans are watching the latest South Korean dramas and movies through a portable Chinese DVD device, which is sold at 50-thousand won in the North.

A North Korean escapee, who attended the forum, said even officials in the North Korean leadership view nothing can stop North Koreans from watching South Korean dramas and movies.