North Korean state media reported on South Korea’s presidential election this week, with the Rodong Sinmun telling domestic readers that conservative Yoon Suk-yeol won a close victory.

The brief story, carried on the last page of Friday’s paper, followed the past pattern of understated state media coverage on conservative victories in the South.

“Opposition conservative People Power Party candidate Yoon Suk-yeol was elected as president with a narrow margin during the 20th presidential election held in South Korea on March 9,” the Rodong Sinmun said, above the international news section and next to its daily COVID-19 coverage.

It did