North Koreans mourn police officer in rare mass display of grief for non-leader



News North Koreans mourn police officer in rare mass display of grief for non-leader State media glorifies security official who died saving young boy in unusual effort to foster loyalty for the regime Seung-Yeon Chung February 25, 2025 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Choe Kum Chol, a former security officer of the Rahung Public Security Station \| Image: KCTV (Feb. 23, 2025) Emotional displays of loyalty to the leader are commonplace on North Korean state TV, from young people thronging around Kim Jong Un with tears in their eyes to public mourning in the aftermath of Kim Jong Il’s death. But during an unusual segment that aired earlier this week, Korean Central Television (KCTV) showed the DPRK masses in hysterics not for Kim Jong Un but for an ordinary police officer — a striking move that was nonetheless still aimed at fostering loyalty for the regime. Emotional displays of loyalty to the leader are commonplace on North Korean state TV, from young people thronging around Kim Jong Un with tears in their eyes to public mourning in the aftermath of Kim Jong Il’s death. But during an unusual segment that aired earlier this week, Korean Central Television (KCTV) showed the DPRK masses in hysterics not for Kim Jong Un but for an ordinary police officer — a striking move that was nonetheless still aimed at fostering loyalty 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

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North Koreans mourn police officer in rare mass display of grief for non-leader

State media glorifies security official who died saving young boy in unusual effort to foster loyalty for the regime

Seung-Yeon Chung February 25, 2025

North Koreans mourn police officer in rare mass display of grief for non-leader

Choe Kum Chol, a former security officer of the Rahung Public Security Station | Image: KCTV (Feb. 23, 2025)

Emotional displays of loyalty to the leader are commonplace on North Korean state TV, from young people thronging around Kim Jong Un with tears in their eyes to public mourning in the aftermath of Kim Jong Il’s death.

But during an unusual segment that aired earlier this week, Korean Central Television (KCTV) showed the DPRK masses in hysterics not for Kim Jong Un but for an ordinary police officer — a striking move that was nonetheless still aimed at fostering loyalty for the regime.

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North Koreans mourn police officer in rare mass display of grief for non-leader

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