North Korea’s government ministries and central organs have “fallen far behind” in making advances in information technology (IT), an article in the country’s ruling party newspaper said Wednesday.

In the Rodong Sinmun coverage of the 2019 National Exhibition of IT Successes, which is running from November 1-7, several articles lavished praise on individuals, companies, and institutions for new products and technological advances, though some were also admonished for a poor showing at the event. 

In an article titled “You have to take it as a life-or-death demand” — referring to the party’s expectations for IT advances — reporter Kang Chol