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CENSORSHIP IN NORTH KOREA



BACKGROUND

__History/Loyalty Groups/Cult of Supreme Leaders__
by Nicole Borden

The former leader of North Korea was Kim il-Sung. Kim il-Sung worked his way up the ranks in the North Korean government throughout the early 1900s. He was the Prime Minister, the president and eventually the General Secretary of the Workers Party of Korea. It has been told that he was charismatic and mindful of others (Pike, 2010). He is most known for his involvement in the Korean War and his ideology concerning “Juche”. Juche is a term coined by Kim il-Sung which has a constantly evolving meaning. It is basically the idea that self reliance is key in the spiritual and economic lifestyle of North Koreans.

Today, North Korea is under the oppressive reign of Kim Jong-il. Kim Jong-il is the first born son of Kim il-Sung, which inevitably led to his current position as the communist leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Kim Jong-il’s first active involvement in North Korea’s government was in 1964 when he attained a position as a guidance officer in charge of propaganda and culture at the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea (KWP). Throughout the 1970s, Kim Jong-il’s power was becoming apparent due to his increased involvement in the KWP. It was not until 1980 that Kim Jong-il was chosen to be a member of the Central Committee, where he essentially became the heir to his father’s legacy. In 1991, the aging Kim il-Sung officially announced that his son would become the supreme commander (also known as generalissimo) of the North Korean People’s Army. In 1993, Kim Jong-il took control over the National Defense Commission (Pike, 2010). This is believed to have been the significant point in history when Kim Jong-il’s succession as heir to father’s regime came full-circle.

In the years after his father’s death, Kim Jong-il has become a power-hungry dictator. In 1998, The Supreme People’s Assembly officially confirmed Kim Jong-il as attaining the “highest office of state”. Since then, Kim Jong-il has used propaganda and pop culture to shelter the people of North Korea. Virtually every aspect of the North Korean culture must be carried out according to his communist agenda. He is said to be a vain and stubborn man who does not take kindly to opinions other than his own (Pike, 2010).



As of September 2010, Kim Jong-il named his youngest son, Kim Jong-un, as his successor. Little to no information is known about the young heir due to the closed nature of the country. “Simply discussing the ruling family in public can land careless gossips with a spell in a political jail” (Sudworth, 2010). The Kim family has and will likely continue to create a cult-like society with their methods of governing North Korea.



**__North Korea Today: A Military State__** by Evelyn Wilroy

The bridge from China to North Korea during the day, left, and at night, right. On the night picture to the right, lights on the China side remain lit, while all lights are out in the distance on the North Korea side.

The North Korean government is heavily militarized, claiming to have an army of 1.3 million soldiers, which would make it the fifth largest in the world. They hold a flourishing military research program, including the focus upon developing nuclear weapons and long-range missiles. They have maintained rows of massive artillery batteries on the North-South Korea border to be used in the case of an international conflict.



In very recent news, it has been revealed that they have unveiled a secret, yet very rapidly growing facility that was built to enrich uranium and to expand its nuclear arsenal. The facility was shown to Stanford professor Siegfried S. Hecker, who was extremely impressed and shocked at the sophistication of the new plant (Bandow, 2010).

STRICT GOVERNMENT CONTROL

__Controlling Flow of Information__
by Drew Seiders According to various sources such as the CPJ and Reporters Without Borders, North Korea is one of the most censored countries in the world today. Not only does the National Government control all aspects of media, it also uses the media as a tool to spread ongoing governmental propaganda. The North Korean government channels its news into the Korean Central News Agency, or the KCNA. Televisions and other forms of media equipment bought in North Korea, are set to only receive pre-set governmental frequencies with sealed labels and according to a 2003 party campaign, the seals were checked in all neighborhoods and villages by appointed officials. Because the North and South use different television systems for broadcasting, it is not possible to view broadcasts from each country, but is known that some television sets can recieve signals from China. The Korean Central News Agency was started on December 5, 1946, and holds its headquarters in the capital city of Pyongyang. The KCNA reports daily for all Northern Korea’s news agencies including newspapers, TV broadcasts and radio. Since 1996, North Korea has been publishing news articles on the internet through a web server located in Japan, where they release articles in other languages such as English, Spanish, and Russian. According to the website, the KCNA reports for the “Worker’s Party of Korea and the North Korean government.” They are known for only spreading positive news to keep the country optimistic, as well as spreading the personality cult of Kim-II Sung and Kim Jong-Ill. It is said that the KCNA revolves around some important themes. One, is that they are known to personalize attacks on leaders of foreign countries such as the US, Russia and Japan. Another is that they refer to the reunification of the country under the ideology of the Juche Idea, and carry strict guidelines for how they refer to the South. Even though it still has yet to acknowledge South Korea as a country, when referring to them they hint the idea that they will once again be united in the future. They also promote the cults of their leaders in ways such as following the daily routines and choosing appropriate times to pray for these leaders. They strive to push away from Western influence, but they will have to make some changes with the changing internet landscape to keep their privacy. []

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__North Korea vs. State censorship: The 2010 World Cup__
In the 2010 FIFA World Cup this summer, the North Korean team, all three of their group games, was subjected to a six-hour excoriation upon their arrival home to their communist nation, which accused them of betraying their country’s ideological struggle. Many even feared for the safety of the team members and staff, among them the coach, Kim Jung-hun, accused of betraying the son and heir of Kim Jong-il. Upon their arrival, they were forced to go onstage at an auditorium at the working people’s culture palace in Pyongyang and subjected to a six-hour bombardment of criticism for their losing performances in South Africa (McCurry, 2010).



Two players, Jung Tae-se and An Yong-hak, flew directly to Japan, their home country, in order to be spared of the dressing down they would have been subjected to if they had arrived in North Korea with their team. Among the witnesses of this event were 400 athletes and sports students, as well as the country’s sports minister. A sports commentator for North Korea’s state-run Korean Central TV led the reprimands, and criticized each player individually, said South Korean media. The players were then invited to verbally attack their coach. According to Radio Free Asia, Kim Jung-hun was to be sent to work on a building site and there were fears for his safety. If the North Korean team had been successful, watchers say that the regime was hoping to attribute the team’s success to Kim Jong-un, as attempts have been made within the country to support military and workers’ party elites for transfer of power (McCurry 2010).

"Considering the high hopes North Koreans had for the World Cup, the regime could have done worse things to the team than just reprimand them for their ideological shortcomings," the source told the newspaper. There was speculation before the game in which they faced Brazil surrounding whether or not the game would be broadcast, as they were predicted to suffer a defeat to the perennial, number one ranked World Cup favorite, Brazil. The North Korean team is ranked 105th (Aveling, 2010). “All of the media is censored in North Korea, so a serious defeat is not going to be taken very kindly,” said Erich Weingartner, who, in the late 1990s, distributed food from Pyongyang. “I would think it won’t be reported at all,” said Mr. Weingartner, editor of The CanKor Report, a journal focusing on North Korean issues and policy. “I think they’ll wait to see if they do any better against some other team. Except for the few North Koreans who somehow have access to South Korean media, no one will know the difference” (Aveling, 2010)



North Korea fell to Brazil, but in a hard-fought match, losing just 2-1. Because of the lone goal against Brazil, which was credited to the Supreme leader, enough confidence was boosted in the team to have the following game against Portugal televised, a rare occurrence for the country (Jones, 2010). <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As the people of North Korea watched the game progress and their team get slaughtered in an ending score of 7-0, the commentators went silent and the coverage was cut immediately after the game ended. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Throughout the time that North Korea was active in the competition, FIFA told reporters not to ask players questions about politics in their country (Wallstreet Journal, 2010).

**__Border Control: Euna Lee and Lisa Ling__** by Katie Ahrens <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">On March 17, 2009, North Korean soldiers that arrested two female American journalists for illegally crossing the border into North Korea. The two women, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, were doing research on North Korean refugees when they were detained by North Korean soldiers along the China and North Korea border. Lisa Ling, Laura Ling's sister, fellow journalist, and former "View" co-host, said on CNN, "When the girls left the United States, they never intended to cross into North Korean soil. And if they did at any point, we apologize" (Kaufman, 2009). Ling and Lee were given a trial and sentenced to 12 years of working hard labor in one of North Korea's most brutal labor camps on June 8, 2009. According to an MTV News story, the women "were sentenced for the grave crime they committed against the Korean nation and their illegal border crossing" (Kaufman, 2009).



<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">On August 4, 2009 former U.S. President Bill Clinton met with North Korean President Kim Jong II to negotiate the pardoning and release of the two women. Lee and Ling returned with President Clinton to the U.S. on August 5. The report from North Korea concerning the matter stated that the women’s release was “a manifestation of the DPRK’s [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] humanitarian and peace-loving policy. The DPRK visit of Clinton and his party will contribute to deepening the understanding between the DPRK and the U.S and building bilateral confidence” (Quijano, Moore, Sosa, 2009).



<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">The capture, trial, and release of Ling and Lee drew in a huge audience. The women even did an interview on Oprah a few months after their return to the U.S. This unfortunate story shows how North Korea struggles to let outsiders in. They do not want the world to see their daily operations or governing ways, and they do not want others to come in and influence their way of living. North Korea is determined to keep outsiders out, and its own people in to prevent disturbances.

**__Internet Use__** by Christina Zeidan

North Korea is celebrating their ruling party's 65th birthday, and for this event they have finally accomplished to make the first full connection to the Internet. They’ve finally come up to date with globalization, but is this specifically available for this special event and to impress journalist, or is this the start to the expansion of freedom in internet access for all in North Korea? “A Web site for the country's official news agency was the first to appear from among a group of 1,024 Internet addresses that had been reserved for North Korea but never used. The Korea Central News Agency's new Web site is different from one operated by a group in Tokyo and carries news and photos a day ahead of the Japanese site."

North Korean-linked websites and twitter feed are conducted in other countries or via direct connections to China’s national internet. Pyongyang welcomed journalist from all over to witness Sunday’s parade. Also a press room was set up specifically for these foreign journalists, and they were given full access to the internet. Usually Pyongyang visitors are only allowed to make phone calls or send emails through designated computers. What a shift they have made. "The North Korean IT guys at the press room really know their stuff. We're logged on," wrote Melissa Chan, a correspondent for Al Jazeera, in a Twitter message. She later appeared live on the channel via a Skype link."We have access to Facebook, Twitter and here I am able to Skype with you," she said. This experience came as a shock to all citizens and foreign journalist, because Korea was very strict on how its citizens communicate. The only drawback is that this internet access is only available to the elite members of the ruling party, the rest of the country do not have access to outside news sources. They have come a long way thus far, but hopefully soon all citizens in North Korea will have full access on the internet. “Radios are pre-tuned to state broadcasts, magazines and newspapers from other countries are banned and the only Web access available is to a nationwide intranet that doesn't link to sites outside of the country. As PCs are unusual at home, most access is via terminals in libraries.”



FUTURE OF NORTH KOREA

__Prognosis__
<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">by Eric Wang <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> The number one influential factor for North Korea in the future is Kim Jong-il's successor. Since he is considered the "supreme leader," his successor could be ultimate change or he could maintain what Kim Jon-il has done. The reason why this is becoming very important is because of Kim Jong's health. He is 68 years old and had a stroke in 2008 and still has not fully recovered. It is expected that Kim Jong-il will give his role to his youngest son Kim Jong-un. He is reported to be the smartest of Kim Jung-il's three sons, and the most politically ambitious.



<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">North Korea has many issues to deal with in the coming years. Famine is foreseen as a huge problem in the coming years because North Korea has had a famine problems since the 1990s. The famine problems in North Korea is also known as the Arduous March and the March of Tribulation. The famine has taken about 12% of the North Korea's population, roughly around 3 million. The biggest problem in the future for North Korea could potentially be an even larger food shortage. Out of any country in the world North Korea is the most vulnerable to rising food prices which can change a countries economy rapidly and in a whole new direction.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Other problems that North Korea foresees are currency devaluation and mass migration. Mass migration could threaten to destabilize the state. A major concern for the future and for the upcoming "supreme leader" is the state's public health system. Since North Korea has closed its doors from the outside world, it causes many issues for their health system. The health care workers do not have international experience or health advances. Also the state's public health system has a shortage of medications and equipment.



REFERENCES

Aveling, N. (2010, June 15). Dear Leader: We almost won! North Korea plays against state censorship.//<span style="font-family: 'hevetica neue',helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"> National Post. //<span style="font-family: 'hevetica neue',helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">Retrieved November 23, 2010 []

<span style="font-family: 'hevetica neue',helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">Bandow, D. (2010, November 22). Surprise: North Korea Is Enriching Uranium! // The American Spectator. // Retrieved November 23, 2010. []

Jones, C. (2010, June 15). Maicon, Elano score second-half goals to lead Brazil past North Korea. //ESPN//. Retrieved November 23, 2010. []

Kaufman, G. (2009, June 8). //Americans Sentenced to 12 Years in North Korean Prison Camp// - THINK MTV. //New Music Videos, Reality TV Shows, Celebrity News, Top Stories | MTV//. Retrieved November 20, 2010 from []

McCurry, Justin. (2010, July 30). North Korea's failed World Cup footballers undergo public mauling. //guardian.co.uk//. Retrieved November 23, 2010 from []

Pike, J. (2009. February 16). Military: Kim Jong-il and Juche. //GlobalSecurity.org//. Retrieved November 22, 2010 from http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/dprk/kim-jong-il.htm

Quijano, E., Moore, C., & Sosa, N. (2009, August 4). U.S. journalists head home from North Korea - CNN.com. //CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News//. Retrieved November 20, 2010, from []

Sudworth, J. (2010, September 30). Kim Jong-ils Son Steps Closer to Power. //BBC News//. Retrieved November 23, 2010 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11436441

The Wallstreet Journal. (2010, June 21). Portugal Beats North Korea in 7-0 Rout. //World Cup//. Retrieved November 23, 2010 from [|http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704895204575320582816388848.html#project%3DSLIDESHOW08%26s%3DSB10001424052748704895204575320433711071318%26articleTabs%3Dslideshow]

Toor, Amar. "North Korea Celebrates 65th Anniversary by Opening up the Internet." //Switched - Gadgets, Gizmos, Reviews and Downloads//. 11 Oct. 2010. Web. 25 Nov. 2010. [].

Powell, Bill. (2008, May 6). "The Next Great Korean Famine." Time Magazine. Retrieved November 23, 2010. http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1737780-1,00.html

Cha, Victor. (2009, June 5). "Kim Jong-il's Successor: Prospects for the Future in North Korea." Center for Strategic and International Studies. Retrieved November 23, 2010. http://csis.org/publication/kim-jong-ils-successor-prospects-future-north-korea

Noland, Marcus. (2002). "The Future of North Korea." Korean Journal of Defense Analysis. Retrieved November 23, 2010. http://www.iie.com/publications/papers/noland0502.pdf