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Themass media in North Korea is amongst the most strictly controlled in the world. Theconstitution nominally provides forfreedom of speech and thepress. However, the government routinely disregards these rights, and seeks to mold information at its source. A typical example of this was thedeath of Kim Jong Il, news of which was not divulged until two days after it occurred.Kim Jong Un, who replaced his father as the leader, has largely followed in the footsteps of both his grandfather,Kim Il Sung, and his father. However, new technologies are being made more freely available in the country. State-run media outlets are setting upwebsites, whilemobile phone ownership in the country has escalated rapidly. "There is no country which monopolizes and controls successfully the internet and information as North Korea does," said Kang Shin-sam, an expert on North Korean technology and co-head of the International Solidarity for Freedom of Information in North Korea, a nonprofit based in South Korea. North Korea has about four million mobile-phone subscribers circa 2022—roughly one-sixth of the population and four times the number in 2012, according to an estimate by Kim Yon-ho, a senior researcher at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies.[1]
Reporters Without Borders has consistently ranked North Korea at or near the bottom of its yearlyPress Freedom Index since it was first issued in 2002. The latest report, published in 2024, puts North Korea at the 177th slot out of 180.[2]
Thestate news agencies are the only outlets in North Korea.[3]
Article 67[4] of the North Korean Constitution protectsfreedom of speech andfreedom of the press. In practice, however, the press istightly controlled by the state, andthe government only allows speech that supports it and the rulingWorkers' Party of Korea.[5] As of 2023[update], North Korea occupies the last place onReporters Without Borders' annualPress Freedom Index.[2]
The lateKim Jong Il's book,The Great Teacher of Journalists, advises that "newspapers carry articles in which they unfailingly hold the president in high esteem, adore him and praise him as the great revolutionary leader."[6] Media reports in North Korea are often one-sided and exaggerated, playing "little or no role in gathering and disseminating vital information true to facts" and providingpropaganda for the regime.[7]
All North Korean journalists are members of the Workers' Party.[8] Candidates for journalism school must not only prove themselves ideologically clean but also come from politically reliable families.[9] Journalists who do not follow the strict laws face punishment in the form of hard labour or imprisonment, or sometimes even execution.[8][10] Only news that favours the regime is permitted, whilst news that covers the economic and political problems in the country, or criticisms of the regime from abroad is not allowed.[11] Domestic media and the population itself are not allowed to carry or read stories by foreign media and can be punished for doing so.[8][12]
The media have consistently upheld thepersonality cult of the Kim family since the country's formation. It frequently reported on the activities of late leaderKim Jong Il, regularly reporting on his daily activities, including "prayers" to founding leaderKim Il Sung. Previously, media would refer to Kim Jong Il as the "Dear Leader", though this was dropped in 2004.[13] However, in January 1981, during the first few months of Kim Jong Il's entry into politics, a survey revealed economic concerns in the media, rather than upholding the cult—60% to 70% of media coverage was focused on the economy in January that year, and between January and September, 54% of editorials in theRodong Sinmun also referred to economic problems, with only 20% on politics, 10% on reunification and 4% onforeign affairs.[14] All indications are that this has continued under the country's third and current leader,Kim Jong-un; soon after his father's death he was acclaimed as the "Great Successor".[15]
Approximately 90% of airtime on international news broadcasts in North Korea ispropaganda spent describing the publication of works by Kim Jong Il and showing various study groups in foreign countries, to allegedly mislead the North Korean public as to the outside world's perceptions of the country.[16] When Kim Jong Il visitedRussia in August 2001, official DPRK media reported Russians as being "awestruck" by the encounter, revering Kim Jong Il's ability to "stop the rain and make the sun come out".[17]
The media is used to promote contrasting domestic and international agendas. Kim Il Sung was said to recognise its power to influence North Koreans and confuse the outside world.[17] Often, the news is released to the international community and withheld from the domestic North Korean population, and other news is released domestically but not internationally.[18]
Though some international news coverage is given in DPRK media, much is ignored,[19] is mentioned very briefly,[20] or is announced several days after the event, as was the case with theRyongchon disaster in 2004.[21][22] Reports are also notoriously secretive. The media remained silent on domestic issues, by not reporting on economic reforms introduced by the government such as increasing wages andfood prices,[23] rarely mentioning Kim Jong Il until his first party position in 1980[24] and thelaunching of missiles.[25] Restrictions on the dissemination of information do not only apply to the civilian population but North Korean officials themselves, depending on ranking.[26]
In contrast, the idea ofreunification of the two Koreas is a pervasive theme in the North Korean media,[27] as is the near-constant "threat" of an "imminent attack" by the foreign countries.[28] In recent years, the media describes in detail satellite launches launched by the country as a sign of the DPRK's "economic prowess."[28] The media rarely reports bad news from the country; however on one rare occasion, the press acknowledged afamine and food shortages in the 1990s.[29]
It has had a role in supporting anti-government demonstrations in South Korea; in the late 1980s, it launched a propaganda campaign urging South Koreans to "fight against the 'government' without concessions and compromise", using false claims to portray the demonstrations as fighting forcommunism, which, rather, were in support ofliberal democracy.[30] It continues to support South Korean anti-government groups, quoting relevant societies and unions critical of the government policy[31] and denouncing government "crackdowns", calling for freedom of expression and democracy for South Korean citizens.[32] From January 1 to June 22, 2009, North Korean media was reported to have criticisedLee Myung-bak, then-President of South Korea 1,700 times — an average of 9.9 times daily.[33]
During theKhrushchev era of theSoviet Union when relations were tense, North Korean media would openly reprint articles critical of the USSR, often written by North Korean officials.[34] However, once relations between the DPRK and the Soviet Union improved, the articles would no longer appear.[35] In the following years, both North Korean and Soviet media would play down sensitive anniversaries.[36]
North Korea has 12 principal newspapers and 20 major periodicals, all published inPyongyang.[37] Foreign newspapers are not sold on the streets of the capital.[38] Every year, North Korean press jointly publishes aNew Year editorial, also broadcast by KCNA, which regularly attracts the attention of the international news media.[39][40][41][42]
Newspapers include:
Several newspaper journalists from North Korea were secretly trained inChina to covertly report on events inside North Korea. The newspapers include restricted circulation papers such as Chamgo Sinmun[43] that is an international affairs newspaper published by the Central Committee Publications Department and distributed only to party officials. November 2007 marked the first publication of theRimjingang magazine, which is distributed secretly in North Korea and neighbouring countries. The magazine covers the economic and political situation in the country. The journalists have also provided footage ofpublic executions toSouth Korean andJapanese media.[10]
Photojournalism is heavily regulated by the government. Due to the extremely limited flow of information out of the country, there is no consensus over what rules are actually in place to govern photojournalism by members of foreign press services. The government-ownedKorean Central News Agency employs many photojournalists and photo editors.
North Korean leaders believe that their rules and censorship system is necessary in order to keep people under control, "to prevent the rise of criticism about the government."[44]
Television broadcasting is managed by theCentral Broadcasting Committee of Korea (until 2009 called Radio and Television Committee of the DPRK). Radio and TV sets in North Korea are supplied pre-tuned to North Korean stations and must be checked and registered with the police, though some North Koreans own Chinese radios which can receive foreign stations.[11] It is prohibited to tune into foreign broadcasts. There are four major television stations:Korean Central Television,Ryongnamsan Television (formerKorean Educational and Cultural Network [ko]), Kaesong Television (which targets South Korea) andSport Television [zh] (since August 15, 2015)[45][46] State television is always off-air until its 5:00 pm evening news broadcast, except on weekends, which start at 6:00 am, and in emergency events, live events and national holidays.[47] In August 2016, North Korea introduced anover-the-topstreaming service known asManbang (meaning "everywhere" or "every direction"), which carries live TV (including educational stationMansudae Television),[48][49] on-demand video, and newspaper articles (from the state newspaperRodong Sinmun) over the internet.[50][48][51] KCTV described the service as a "respite from radio interference".[52]
North Korean newscasts are known for their showmanship. KCTV's principal newsreader from 1974 to 2012,Ri Chun-hee, was well known for the wavering, exuberant tone she used when praising the nation's leaders and the hateful one she used in denouncing countries seen as hostile to the regime. Some North Korean journalists who have defected to the South have noted the contrasts with the more conversational South Korean broadcasting style.[53]
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All broadcast media in some way promotes the regime's ideologies and positions, such asJuche, and regularly condemns actions bySouth Korea,Japan,China,Israel, theUnited States, and other nations. The media in recent years condemns theUnited Nations, and its position against the country's nuclear program. Media is generally withoutadverts, though some advertisement of local brands occurs on Mansudae Television.[49]
Due to the economic conditions in the country and the short broadcast day, radio is the most widely used medium. In 2006, there were 16 AM, 14 FM, and 11 shortwave radio broadcast stations. The main radio stations are the Pyongyang FM Station,Voice of Korea, and theKorean Central Broadcasting Station. There is also ablack propaganda station called Propaganda Radio – which purports to be broadcasting from South Korea.[54] Some foreign broadcast radio stations that target North Koreaare often jammed, though this can vary. The authorities designate such foreign media as "enemies of the regime".[11]
Some particularly politically sensitive material is available only through wired radio connections.[55] The system was likely built with infrastructure imported from theSoviet Union, which operated a similar system known asradiotochka ("radio socket" in English). The cable radio transmissions are known by North Koreans as the "Third Broadcast" or the 'Third Network.[56] It was reported that the third network was complete in 1982. AfterKim Jong Un's stated the intention of improving 'wire broadcasting', the third network has seen installation in new apartment units, although in the 90s, distribution cables were apparently plundered for scrap metal.[57] Similar to the Soviet wired radio system the radio sets are technologically simple affairs with few electronic components inside them besides a loudspeaker and a control coil for the volume, they have no "off" switch, but can be unplugged.[58]
South Korean television programmes cannot be received in North Korea due to incompatibilities between the television systems (PAL in North Korea andNTSC/ATSC in South Korea) and the sets being pre-tuned.South Korean soap operas, films and WesternHollywood films according to defectors, are said to be spreading at a "rapid rate" throughout North Korea despite the threat of punishment;[59] As of 2011,USB flash drives were selling well in North Korea, primarily used for watching South Korean dramas and films on personal computers.[60]
North Korean broadcasts have been picked up in South Korea,[61] and are monitored by theUnification Ministry inSeoul, which handles cross-border relations and media exchanges.[62]
Defectors are also streaming North Korean television broadcasts on the Internet.[63]
Internet access in North Korea is restricted toInternet cafés or hotels designated for foreign tourists inPyongyang, and is limited for North Koreans to essential users like international businesses. Nearly all of North Korea's Internet traffic is routed through China.[64][65] The general population of North Korea does not have internet access, however, they do have access toKwangmyong, anintranet set up by the government. North Korea itself has a limited presence on the internet, with several sites on their national.kp domain. TheMosquito Net filtering model used in North Korea attempts to attractforeign investment, while the filter simultaneously blocks foreign ideas.[66]
Accessibility to video games increased over the late 2000s and 2010s as mobile phones began to enter the North Korean market, with simple domestically produced mobile games becoming more common.[67] Web games developed by North Korean companies have also been developed throughout the 2010s,often with a focus on education.[68]
In September 2019 state-run media announced the release of a motion-based video game system named the Moranbong. The system appears to exhibit similar features to theNintendo Wii andPlayStation Move. The system has two wands similar in appearance to Wii controllers, a motion detector similar in appearance to theKinect, and a sensor-based mat that detects foot-based input.[69] The system is effectively a rebranded version of theSubor G80, a Chinese console runningAndroid OS.[70]
Despite extremely strict regulations and draconian penalties, North Koreans, particularly elite citizens, have increasing access to news and other media outside the state-controlled media authorized by the government. While access to the internet is tightly controlled, radio, DVDs, and USB drives are common media accessed, and in border areas, television.[71][72] Penalties vary depending on the source of the media; being found with South Korean media may be punished more harshly than access to Chinese media.[73] One estimate is that approx. 92% of North Koreans access foreign media at least once a month.[74]
The primary focus of the study was on the ability of North Koreans to access outside information from foreign sources through a variety of media, communication technologies and personal sources. The relationship between information exposure on North Koreans' perceptions of the outside world and their own country was also analyzed.
News agency
Newspapers
North Korean online media aimed at foreign audience
Foreign media targeted at North Korea
Analysis
