Press coverage of North Korea is notoriously patchy. Commissioned by editors with little to no expertise in the complexities of life in the country and deadlines to meet, stories are often published for their ability to attract traffic, not for their veracity.

While the knowledge that stories about the country which accentuate its eccentricity and other-worldliness are always popular, it’s easier for journalists to press the publish button and rake in the page views than to take a step back and authenticate.