As two typhoons hammered North Korea within a week of each other, state media broadcasts looked unusually reminiscent of international TV coverage, with correspondents standing knee-deep in floodwaters to provide rare, nearly real-time reports.
FILE PHOTO - A North Korean flag flies on a mast at the Permanent Mission of North Korea in Geneva October 2, 2014. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Picture
The format offered seemingly unscripted moments rarely seen on the state-controlled Korean Central Television, including one rain-drenched reporter brushing off attempts by a man trying to hand him an umbrella in the middle of a report. “The layers of censorship and approval needed are too complex to do this without pretty high-up approval,” he said.The coverage reflects Kim’s policy of greater transparency and resolving issues head-on, rather than trying to hide them, said Rachel Minyoung Lee, a former North Korea open source intelligence analyst in the U.S. government.
“Kim Jong Un seems to have realized early on that KCTV needed to keep up with the times to compete with the influx of South Korean and foreign media and entertainment content, and that explains KCTV modernization efforts,” she said.In recent years, North Korea has dabbled in online media aimed at a more global audience as well.
@ColdNoodleFan - which was recently suspended by Twitter for unspecified reasons and currently displays a message by the platform warning that the account has shown “some unusual activity” - has nearly 9,000 followers, while following zero other accounts. A series of videos, including some under the title “What’s Up, Pyongyang?”, feature an English-speaking young woman identified as “Un A” touring various spot in the city.
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