April 20, 2024
Opinion

Why South Korean reports of purges in the North spread like wildfire

Reaction to rumors of palace intrigue was firmly divided along partisan lines

The report, published by an influential South Korean newspaper on May 31, made a huge commotion in Seoul, likely because the story also had the hallmarks of a tale of palace intrigue.

It claimed North Korea's chief negotiator at the DPRK-U.S. Hanoi summit had been executed, the younger sister of the supreme leader had received an order to lay low, a high-ranking official was sent for forced labor and reeducation, and another female diplomat and an elite translator were sent to a prison camp.

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