[Opinion] Top 10 News of North Korea

The No-dong Daily, one of the most official media sources in North Korea, is published under the instructions and supervision of the Department of Propaganda and Instigation. Since the publisher of the paper is the headquarters of the ruling party, all the editorials require approval of North Korea`s supreme leader Kim Jong-Il before printing. Kim sometimes writes or revises some of the editorials in person as well. And the borderlines of such articles are filled with special type symbols so as to distinguish Kim’s articles from others. In North Korea, you have to be very cautious when handling the No-dong Daily, which has a picture of Kim in it. Such things are not a matter of joke in North Korea.

Of cause, the No-dong Daily is much different than media in democratic societies, which briskly and transparently deliver foreign and domestic news to our homes. For instance, the No-dong Daily has never dealt with the “top ten news of the year” format articles that most of South Korean media are keen to publish or broadcast at the end of year.

Instead of the No-dong Daily, the Choson Sinbo covered the top news under the title of the “Ten major news in 2003 by Pyongyang citizens.” The Choson Sinbo is not a state owned newspaper but actually published by the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan. The Choson Sinbo pretends to have an objective stance towards North Korean issues as a third party, but it is, in fact, another propaganda medium of the North Korean government.

Let us now look at the “top ten news of the Choson Sinbo,” although it is highly doubtful to believe Pyongyang residents actually participated in the selection process.

The 10th anniversary of Kim as Chairman of the National Defense Commission and the 55th anniversary of the founding of the North Korean regime were among the top news. But it just does not make any sense. I wonder how such general things could be hot news of 2003 in North Korea.

The followings are also listed as the top news: Conflicts over the nuclear issues; Active exchanges between the two Koreas; North Korea’s demand for Japan to apologize and compensate for the past wrongdoings; Struggles over the resumption of Mangyeongbong-ship’s operation. Well for me, they are intentionally chosen to reflect North Korean government’s hope for getting help from the international community while maintaining its pride.

The rest of the top news were the election of deputies of the Supreme People’s Assembly, the sale of People’s life bonds, repair and reconstruction projects in Pyongyang. Well, do they sound like ordinary news to you?

Son Kwang-ju, the author of the “Kim Jong-Il Report” argues that the top ten news of the Choson Sinbo is a trick to pretend and propagate that North Korea is undergoing changes. Son explains that Kim intentionally released his unanticipated picture voting at the election of deputies in August to grab attention and show off changes.

When will the No-dong Daily finally be able to transparently and objectively report the real top ten news of North Korea? I wish the following can be published as the top ten news of Pyongyang: Complete abandonment of nuclear weapons; Acceptance of international inspectors; Privatization of farmland; Allowance and guarantees of operating small private firms.

Song Moon-hong, songmh@donga.com