September 26, 2023
Analysis

Why North Korea’s State Propaganda Is Smarter Than You Think

For a country that's supposedly cut off from the rest of the world, North Korea's state run KCNA (Korean Central News Agency) certainly demonstrates a shrewd ability to track international affairs.

To many outsiders, North Korean local news seems like a farce, characterized by gushing reports dedicated to things like the latest Kim statues to be erected up and down the country, and the celebrations that have taken place to honor them. But KCNA dedicate a surprisingly large amount of time to reporting on overseas conflicts too – both political and military – and a recent paper by Czech scholar Jana Hajzlerova has been investigating the structure and style of North Korean domestic news to reveal the fierce logic at KCNA's heart.