When one studies North Korean ideology, one normally turns to the DPRK’s main state newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun. Studying the Labor Newspaper, as it is known in English, has several advantages.

First, this newspaper is North Korea’s most widely-circulated, conveying the official message in its most direct form. Second, it targets an audience both inside and outside the country. When one studies North Korean media aimed solely at foreigners, one can easily mistake its peculiarities as an important part of the DPRK state discourse, however, Rodong Sinmun-based research has no such flaws.

It should, of course, be noted