“Korean trash media continue to manipulate fabricated data and run wild.” Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s Supreme Leader, recently criticized the South Korean media, saying, “No country in the world has media that fabricate such nonsense and spread it.” It is noted as unusual that the leader himself listed out in detail the articles from the South that are usually hard for residents to access, especially in times of disaster recovery efforts. Analysts suggest that there is impatience over the possibility of anti-government sentiments arising from the flood disaster.
Furthermore, Kim Jong-un visited the flood-affected area in the North Korean town of Uiju over a two-day period and comforted the flood victims living in makeshift tents amidst scorching heat, declaring plans to relocate them to Pyongyang for recovery support. Notably, a significant part of Kim’s speech that day was directed at criticizing the South Korean media for repeatedly manipulating false information, including reports of over 1,000 missing persons and multiple helicopters crashing during rescue efforts within flood-affected areas.
Kim Jong-un also previously denounced reports of over 1,000 casualties and helicopter crashes due to internal flooding in North Korea as “fabricated” by the South Korean media. His rebuttal concerning the ceremony for the “July 27th Victory Day” aims to counter claims that the event was held in Pyongyang while pointing out that there were no casualties despite heavy rains causing isolated incidents.
Kim Jong-un’s direct and repeated refutation of South Korean media coverage is seen as unprecedented. Despite the difficulty for North Korean citizens to access South Korean media reports through normal channels, Kim Jong-un’s detailed explanations suggest a deliberate effort to address the so-called “fabricated news.” His speech was published in the domestic media outlet Rodong Sinmun, which can be viewed by North Korean residents.
It is interpreted as a sign of North Korea’s heightened sensitivity to external information inflows through recent intensified loudspeaker broadcasts and other means. Concerns over the economic hardship compounded by the flood disaster have led to increased worries about potential discontent among the public.