Biting humor: North Korea’s forgotten embrace of satirical cartoons
Magazine Hwalsal once prominently featured social criticism, revealing openness of early DPRK until regime cracked down
A North Korean satirical cartoon from 1958 | Image: Hwalsal, edited by NK News
North Korean media is infamous for not allowing even the slightest criticism of its society.
The country’s journalists are sometimes willing to acknowledge nationwide hardships or problems created by local mismanagement. For example, state media mentions the Arduous March of the late 1990s and reported last year on Kim Jong Un visiting a rice paddy that allegedly flooded due to officials’ mistakes.
North Korean media is infamous for not allowing even the slightest criticism of its society.
The country’s journalists are sometimes willing to acknowledge nationwide hardships or problems created by local mismanagement. For example, state media mentions the Arduous March of the late 1990s and reported last year on Kim Jong Un visiting a rice paddy that allegedly flooded due to officials’ mistakes.
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