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KCTV refreshes its weather forecast presentation
Korean Central Television debuted a more casual presentation style for its weather broadcast. It’s the second recent on-screen change for state-TV.
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The Russian university hosting the Kim-Putin summit is eyeing wider cooperation with North Korea
Vladivostok’s Far Eastern Federal University is playing host to the summit between Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin this week but plans were recently agreed for it to play a greater role in DPRK-Russian academic exchange. The university already hosts about 10 North Korean graduate students per year and in November last year it agreed…
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State media is fast with news of Kim’s departure for Russia
North Korean state media has showed unusual speed in reporting on the movements of Kim Jong Un for the second time this year. Kim’s departure for Russia from Pyongyang railway station headlined state radio news bulletins on Wednesday morning and made the front page of the day’s newspapers despite apparently happening just hours earlier (See…
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North Korea rises one step in annual press freedom ranking
North Korea is no longer last in Reporters Without Borders’ annual press freedom ranking, but the change doesn’t signal any great movement on press freedom.
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KCTV tries a new look for the news but the content stays the same
Korean Central Television tried out a new look for its news last week, giving the main evening bulletin a slightly more contemporary look. But while the on-screen presentation was a bit more attractive, the main subjects covered in the news weren’t any different from before. The changes could be due to the increased influence and…
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KCTV appears on a South Korean satellite
North Korea’s state-run television and radio service has begun broadcasting via a South Korean satellite, according to reports from satellite monitors in the region. Korea Central Television (조선중앙텔레비죤) appeared on the Koreasat-5A satellite in mid March alongside two radio stations: the Korean Central Broadcasting Station (조선중앙방송) and Voice of Korea (조선의소리). The transmission appears to…
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Minju Choson newspaper is online
Minju Choson (민주조선), one of the most important newspapers in North Korea, has become the latest state media organ to go on the global Internet.
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A closer look at North Korea’s Manbang IPTV box
It has been two and a half years since North Korean TV showcased a new IP streaming television service called “Manbang” (만방). Since then, it occasionally appears in state media but it’s still largely a mystery. The Manbang service is quite impressive in that it mirrors the comprehensive live and on-demand services offered by many…
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The origins of the Pyongyang 2423 smartphone
[UPDATE: After publishing this article, I learned of the manufacturer of the Pyongyang 2423 smartphone. The article has been updated to include that and additional information.] The Daily NK website recently published photos and details of the Pyongyang 2423 (평양2423) smartphone, which reportedly went on sale in North Korea in the fourth quarter of 2018.…
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Kim Jong Un’s New Year’s Address: The Art of Propaganda
Kim Jong Un’s New Year’s address got a makeover in 2019. Gone was the lectern and flowers in front of a large assembly hall, and in came an armchair and a more relaxed style. KCTV thankfully got rid of most of the absurd recorded applause that punctuated his speech in previous years, although snippets were…