Censorship in North Korea

North Korea (the Democratic People's Republic of Korea) has a high degree of censorship and no freedom of the press. It is routinely at the bottom of the World Press Freedom Index Rankings published annually by Reporters Without Borders. In 2007 North Korea was listed second-to-last of 169 countries (only Eritrea ranked lower), and from 2002 through 2006 it was listed the worst in the world. [cite web|title=Worldwide press freedom index 2006|work=Reporters Without Borders|url=http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=19388|accessdate=January 9|accessyear=2008]

All media outlets are strictly owned and controlled by the North Korean government. As such, all media in North Korea gets its news from the Korean Central News Agency. The media dedicates a large portion of its resources toward political propaganda and promoting the personality cult of Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-il. [cite web|title=Kim Jong Il’s leadership, key to victory|work=Naenara|url=http://www.kcckp.net/en/news/news_view.php?0+1671|accessdate=January 27|accessyear=2006]

The media routinely makes false claims and uses highly-charged rhetoric attacking the Western world, United States, Japan, and South Korea. For instance, the North Korean media claim that the United States started the Korean War, which Soviet archives show to have started with a premeditated invasion from the north. [cite web|title=Worst Obstacle to Reunification of Korea|work=Korea Today|url=http://www.kcckp.net/en/periodic/todaykorea/index.php?contents+1803+2006-01+80+36|accessdate=January 27|accessyear=2006]

Radio or television sets which can be bought in North Korea are pre-set to receive only the government frequencies and sealed with a label to prevent tampering with the equipment. It is a serious criminal offence to manipulate the sets and receive radio or television broadcasts from outside North Korea. In a party campaign in 2003, the head of each party cell in neighbourhoods and villages received instructions to verify the seals on all radio sets.Fact|date=June 2007

As North and South Korea use different television systems (SECAM and NTSC respectively), it is not possible to view broadcasts across the border between the two countries; however, it has reportedly been possible to receive television from that China.Fact|date=November 2007

According to the "Daily NK", it is possible to broadcast news for North Korea through short wave radio. Possessing a short wave radio is against the law in North Korea, but the radios are allegedly confiscated and resold by corrupted agents of secret police.Fact|date=November 2007

Internet enemies

In 2006, Reporters Without Borders listed North Korea among the top 13 Internet enemies [cite web|title=List of the 13 Internet enemies|work=Reporters Without Borders|url=http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=19603|accessdate=January 9|accessyear=2008] .

References

External links

* [http://www.dailynk.com/english/ The Daily NK The Hub of North Korean News]