For Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s COVID crisis is also a propaganda opportunity



Analysis For Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s COVID crisis is also a propaganda opportunity Experts say state media has savvily manipulated stats to show the regime is leading country to overcome outbreak Jeongmin Kim June 8, 2022 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Kim Jong Un waving at citizens at a civilian parade in Pyongyang marking the country's late founder Kim Il Sung's birthday \| Image: Rodong Sinmun (April 16, 2022) For nearly a month, North Korea has struggled to rein in a COVID-19 outbreak that it has called one of the greatest crises in the country's history. Medical experts have postulated that thousands could die, and some observers have even raised the possibility of resulting regime instability. Yet despite the serious threat that COVID-19 poses to millions in the DPRK, it’s become increasingly clear that the outbreak has also provided Pyongyang with a golden opportunity to boost propaganda for the regime. For nearly a month, North Korea has struggled to rein in a COVID-19 outbreak that it has called one of the greatest crises in the country's history. Medical experts have postulated that thousands could die, and some observers have even raised the possibility of resulting regime instability. Yet despite the serious threat that COVID-19 poses to millions in the DPRK, it’s become increasingly clear that the outbreak has also provided Pyongyang with a golden opportunity to boost propaganda for the regime. Try unlimited access Only $1 for four weeks Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis Year-one discount if you continue past $1 trial period The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts. Subscribe now All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

Analysis

For Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s COVID crisis is also a propaganda opportunity

Experts say state media has savvily manipulated stats to show the regime is leading country to overcome outbreak

Jeongmin Kim June 8, 2022

For Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s COVID crisis is also a propaganda opportunity

Kim Jong Un waving at citizens at a civilian parade in Pyongyang marking the country's late founder Kim Il Sung's birthday | Image: Rodong Sinmun (April 16, 2022)

For nearly a month, North Korea has struggled to rein in a COVID-19 outbreak that it has called one of the greatest crises in the country's history. Medical experts have postulated that thousands could die, and some observers have even raised the possibility of resulting regime instability.

Yet despite the serious threat that COVID-19 poses to millions in the DPRK, it’s become increasingly clear that the outbreak has also provided Pyongyang with a golden opportunity to boost propaganda for the regime.

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For Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s COVID crisis is also a propaganda opportunity

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