Propaganda starts early: North Korea's cruel and crude cartoons | NK News
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December 24, 2024

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Propaganda starts early: North Korea’s cruel and crude cartoons

While Kim family is absent in N.Korean cartoons, propaganda can still be found aplenty

Worldwide, the television is used not only for delivering information, but also as a propaganda tool. This is especially so in countries where the TV is controlled by the state. However, when it comes to North Korea, the rule is less practical since the country has a chronic shortage of electricity, meaning its citizens often cannot watch state TV. Of course, the fact only one channel covers the entire country – and which doesn't even broadcast for the whole day – does not help its application as reliable in distributing propaganda.

But unlike North Korea's daily newspapers and their often boring headlines, state TV occasionally presents some relatively interesting stuff. From news to films and cartoons, North Koreans do indeed watch it, though they naturally prefer the latter. And the state does not object, for showing occasional films or cartoons ensures the TV is kept on more than would be the case otherwise. This means, of course, that while North Koreans wait for their favorite films, they will also be listening to other stories such as the secretary of a tiny party in Senegal calling Kim Jong Un the sun of the world, and other news of relevance.

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