Recent detailed coverage of South Korean politics in North Korean state media has sparked intense curiosity among North Koreans, particularly regarding South Koreans’ freedom to openly criticize their president.
Multiple sources told Daily NK on Friday that a Jan. 3 Rodong Sinmun newspaper article about South Korea’s political situation has become a widespread topic of private discussion. While public discussion of South Korean politics remains strictly forbidden and punishable in North Korea, people are quietly sharing their thoughts with close family and friends.
The initial reaction has largely been one of disbelief. The Rodong Sinmun newspaper’s coverage of Seoul protests, including “large-scale candlelight vigils and marches demanding ‘Expel Yoon Suk Yeol! Disband the People Power Party!’” has left many North Koreans stunned at the notion of citizens openly calling for their president’s removal.
“We can’t even imagine criticizing the party or Supreme Leader,” a source in Ryanggang province said. “People can’t comprehend how South Koreans can demand their president’s expulsion. It makes them say the South must truly be a different world.”
The detailed reporting has prompted North Koreans to draw comparisons between the political systems on either side of the DMZ. Many question whether the reports of South Koreans using “crude language” to criticize their administration are accurate or deliberately edited.
Another striking revelation for North Koreans has been learning that South Korean society continues to function normally despite political upheaval. “People with relatives who have defected are surprised to hear their family members in the South saying everything’s fine, even amid what’s being described as social paralysis,” the Ryanggang source noted.
“The consensus is that South Korea must be genuinely free,” the source added. “Here, you can vanish without a trace for speaking out. People are surprised to learn it’s not like that in the South.”
While the North Korean authorities likely intended these reports to highlight the superiority of their socialist system, they appear to have instead underscored the stark differences in political freedom between the two countries.
The situation raises questions about how North Korean authorities will balance their coverage of South Korean politics going forward, as more detailed reporting seems to be fostering increased sympathy and curiosity about life in the South.
January 16, 2025 at 03:00AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)