Censorship in North Korea

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North Korea (the Democratic People's Republic of Korea) has a high degree of censorship and no de facto freedom of the press. It is routinely at the bottom of the World Press Freedom Index Rankings published annually by Reporters Without Borders. From 2007 to 2013 North Korea has been listed second last of the 177 countries (Eritrea is last), and from 2002 through 2006 it was listed the worst in the world.^[1] All media outlets are strictly owned and controlled by the North Korean government. As such, all media in North Korea gets its news from the Korean Central News Agency. The media dedicates a large portion of its resources toward political propaganda and promoting the personality cult of Kim Il-Sung, Kim Jong-il,^[2] and Kim Jong-un.

Radio and television censorship

Radio or television sets, which can be bought in North Korea, are preset to receive only the government frequencies and sealed with a label to prevent tampering with the equipment. It is a serious criminal offence to manipulate the sets and receive radio or television broadcasts from outside North Korea. In a party campaign in 2003, the head of each party cell in neighborhoods and villages received instructions to verify the seals on all radio sets.^[3]

As North and South Korea use different television systems (PAL and NTSC respectively), it is not possible to view broadcasts across the border between the two countries; however, it has reportedly been possible to receive television broadcasts from China.^{[citation needed]}

According to the Daily NK, it is possible to broadcast news for North Korea through short-wave radio. Possessing a short-wave radio is against the law in North Korea, but the radios are allegedly confiscated and resold by corrupted agents of secret police.^{[citation needed]}

"A Quiet Opening: North Koreans in a Changing Media Environment" a study commissioned by the U.S. State Department and conducted by InterMedia and released May 10, 2012 shows that despite extremely strict regulations and draconian penalties North Koreans, particularly elite elements, 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 and DVDs are common media accessed, and in border areas, television.^[4][5]

Internet enemies

In 2006, Reporters Without Borders (Julien Pain, head of the Internet desk at Reporters Without Borders) described North Korea as the world’s worst Internet black hole^[6] in its list of the top 13 Internet enemies.^[7]

Internet access is illegal in North Korea. Only a very few government officials have access to the internet through a secret rented North Korean-Chinese connection.^[7] The rest of the citizens have access to the country's own internet, called Kwangmyong.

See also

• Media of North Korea
• Telecommunications in North Korea
• North Korean postal service
• Propaganda in North Korea

References

External links

• The Daily NK The Hub of North Korean News