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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…
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North Korean Media: KCTV’s Coverage of Kim Jong Un’s Diplomatic Push in 2018
North Korea’s state broadcaster, Korean Central Television (KCTV), has had to tread a fine line covering this year’s international summits and diplomatic events. On the one hand, the numerous summits have been something to hail, having put Kim Jong Un concretely on the global stage, broken the country’s international diplomatic isolation and potentially laid the…
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North Korea’s WiFi story: the “Mirae” is today
Korean Central Television recently broadcast footage of people using a tablet PC to access the national intranet via an outdoor data service in Pyongyang.
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North Korea launches another new website, this time for international trade
North Korea is on something of a website roll at present. The online Manmulsang e-commerce portal launched a few weeks ago, last week it opened DPRK Portal and this week it’s a foreign trade portal. The site says its run by the Ministry of External Economic Relations and has launched in Korean, English, Chinese and…
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North Korea launches an Internet portal
North Korea has launched a new Internet portal that provides a quick link to all of the country’s official web sites available on the Internet. The site, appropriately called DPRK Portal, links to 34 web sites although a handful are actually sections of the Naenara web site so the total number of sites with unique…
