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North Korea’s best propagandists. Key Figures Behind the Cult of Kim

Umito November 12, 2024

Isolated and with almost no allies, North Korea has asserted itself on the world stage, even deploying its troops to support Russia in its full-scale war against Ukraine. North Korean propagandists have joined the Russian chorus, adding Ukraine to their rhetoric. But who are these propagandists and how far does their influence extend?

Recently, North Korea has intensified its international activities, intensifying both its military aggression and its propaganda efforts. The latter now includes Ukraine in its crosshairs, with Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, calling out Ukraine and South Korea. “badly behaved dogs raised by the United States” according to the North Korean news agency KCNA.

What is North Korean propaganda?

North Korean propaganda focuses on a cult of personality around the Kim family, presented as heroic and quasi-mythical figures. It glorifies the North Korean totalitarian regime and demonizes foreign influences, particularly those of the United States and South Korea, with the recent arrival of Ukraine. Internationally, North Korea look for influence through diaspora organizations like Chongryon and, recently, social media platforms, where eye-catching propaganda videos attempt to soften its image.

It is rare to see North Korean propaganda have a significant impact beyond its borders. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t. In 2024, North Korean propaganda has found a platform: TikTok. When the viral song “Friendly Father” – celebrating Kim Jong Un – was released on the app in April, it quickly became a catchy sensation, with users grooving to its upbeat electro-pop beat. “Friendly Father” is just the latest in a decades-long series of North Korean propaganda songs. It’s catchy, reminiscent of Western pop hits, but with a distinct Soviet-style undertone that users describe as “Abba-coded.”

This style aligns with the regime’s “seed theory”: each work of art must carry an ideological seed, designed to spread the state’s message, said Alexandra Leonzini, specialist in North Korean music at Cambridge. Every component of the North Korean government strives to secure and prolong the country’s rule, even sending one’s own soldiers thousands of miles away to participate in someone else’s war.

North Korean propaganda doesn’t stop at catchy tunes. The backbone of its efforts is the Propaganda and Agitation Department (PAD), which crafts narratives for media, education and culture, while television stations like KCNA and KCTV play a central role in the development and dissemination of these stories. Figures such as Kim Yo Jong are actively involved in propaganda campaigns aimed at strengthening the regime.

A report from the Ukrainian Center for Combating Disinformation (CCD) main lines The main goals of North Korea’s propaganda:

Discredit the United States, NATO and their allies.
Justify Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
Block any alternative viewpoints contesting the official line.

Overall, North Korean propaganda aims to control its population, instill pride, and counter external criticism.

Who are the North Korean propagandists?

Kim Yo Jong, the sister

Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, attends a wreath-laying ceremony at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi on March 2, 2019. Photo: Jorge Silva/Reuters

Kim Yo Jong, deputy director of the PAD, orchestrates speeches in the North Korean media, particularly on foreign policy. Following reports from North Korean troops helping Russia in Ukraine, it attacked Ukraine and South Korea at the end of October, call “crazy people” who risk “the destruction of all the scum”, alongside the famous “bad dogs raised by the United States”, and who threaten nuclear reprisals. She also accused Ukraine of seeking nuclear weapons, without any supporting evidence.

His statements often target the West, and his rhetoric has reinforced North Korea’s pro-Russian stance, claiming that “the United States is putting Europe at risk by supplying tanks to Ukraine”, or that ” Ukraine suffers from illusions if it thinks it can defeat Russia,” notes the CCD.

Ri Chun Hee, the “pink lady”

News anchor Ri Chun Hee presents a news bulletin (Photo by KIM WON JIN/AFP via Getty Images)

Known as the “Pink Lady” of North Korean television, Ri Chun Hee is famous for her moving and impactful news broadcasts, broadcast in her iconic pink hanbok.

Since her debut at KCTV in 1971, she has announced the deaths of North Korean leaders and continues to appearances for major state events, particularly those celebrating nuclear ambitions.

Her services to the regime earned her special treatment from Kim Jong Un, with the North Korean leader granting her a luxurious residence and asking her to continue serving as a voice for the ruling Workers’ Party (WPK).

Kim Kyong-hui, the aunt

Kim Kyong-hui, 2012. Source: NBC News

A key political figure, Kim Kyong-hui shaped the Kim family’s cult of personality, particularly during the rule of his brother Kim Jong Il.

After Kim Jong Il’s death in 2011, she became a mentor to her nephew as he rose to power. She was believed dead after the same nephew, Kim Jong Un, ordered her husband’s execution for treason in 2013. Yet she resurfaced. publicly in 2020 alongside his family, remaining an important political figure.

Choe Son-hui, FM

Russian and North Korean Foreign Ministers Sergei Lavrov and Choe Son-hui hold talks in Moscow, November 1, 2024. (Source: Russian Foreign Ministry)

North Korea’s Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui is a driving force in the country’s foreign policy, regularly deliver speeches that defend North Korea’s allies, such as Russia, and condemn Western actions. Amid reports of North Korean missile transfers to Russia, she traveled to Moscow, where she met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian leader Vladimir Putin to say relations had reached a “new strategic level” and promote deeper cooperation. She recently called Russia’s actions in Ukraine a “holy war.”

Sin Hong Chol, Russia’s messenger

North Korean Ambassador to Russia Sin Hong Chol (c) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov | Photo: Facebook of the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang

As North Korea’s ambassador to Russia, Sin Hong Chol champions the North Korea-Russia alliance. Since taking office in Moscow in 2021, he has vigorously supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, recognized the Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories – the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics – and rejected U.S. military aid to Ukraine as a path to a “second Afghanistan.”

Kim Song, UN envoy

Chairman of the North Korean delegation, Kim Song, at the United Nations headquarters in New York. (Photo credit: DON EMMERT/AFP via Getty Images)

As North Korea’s permanent representative to the UN, Kim Song actively expresses support for Russia, claiming that the “Ukrainian crisis” stems from the “hegemonic policies” of the United States and NATO. He criticizes Western support for Ukraine, saying it causes “tragic bloodshed” and ignoring “the legitimate demands of the Russian Federation for security guarantees”, while declaring that Pyongyang will accelerate the development of its nuclear weapons program (just days after testing an intercontinental ballistic missile).

Kim Song-hye, the “peaceful” unifier

North Korean delegation head Kim Song-Hye (center) crosses the military demarcation line (MLD) for the meeting at the border village of Panmunjom on June 9, 2013, South Korea. (Photo by South Korean Unification Ministry via Getty Images)

As head of the Secretariat Office of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland (CPRK), Kim Song-hye directs propaganda aimed at South Korea and the international community, particularly regarding the “Ukrainian question.” It strives to justify North Korea’s aggressive stance and advocates for the unification of the Korean peninsula under Pyongyang’s rule.

Apre-salomemanzo

Apre-salomemanzo

North Korea’s best propagandists. Key Figures Behind the Cult of Kim

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