Is North Korean propaganda playing up Kim Jong-un’s ‘human warmth and love’ to counter Western pop culture?
- Pyongyang’s propaganda appears to be shifting from totalitarian pompousness and militaristic rigour, to court youth exposed to Western pop culture, analysts say
- Analysts see the move as part of a wider bid by ruler Kim Jong-un to consolidate power and to reduce a cult of personality around his father and grandfather
The propaganda shift also reflected Pyongyang’s stance to treat Seoul as a separate enemy state, and deviated from approaches by Kim’s predecessors that recognised blood ties with the South.
Yang Moo-jin, professor of political science at Seoul’s University of North Korean Studies, said Pyongyang’s state propaganda was grave in tone when Kim’s grandfather and father ruled, and stressed the “infallibility” of the country’s leader.
“But North Korea is moving away from this idolisation that is too excessively out of step with global changes, instead emphasising the leader’s human warmth and love for the people,” he said.
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TikTok grooves to upbeat North Korean propaganda song praising Kim Jong-un
In a rare display that would have been unimaginable from previous rulers, Kim in January 2021 admitted that his economic plan had fallen far short “in almost all sectors”, and apologised for failing to live up to the people’s expectations.
In January this year, he said failure to provide basic living necessities for North Koreans was a “serious political issue”, state news media reported.
The death of propaganda chief Kim Ki-nam this week marked the closure of the last chapter of the North’s traditional propaganda style, professor Yang said.
Kim Ki-nam also led a delegation to South Korea when former president Kim Dae-jung died in 2009 and met with then-South Korean president Lee Myung-bak. Kim Dae-jung made a historic visit in 2000 to Pyongyang to meet Kim Jong-il, raising hopes the divided peninsula could reconcile.
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Kim Jong-un mourns death of North Korean propaganda chief who served all three leaders
Overriding Western culture
Pyongyang’s efforts to solicit support from the young are reflected in a rare upbeat music video that has gone viral online, analysts say, in a pivot from previous state videos that featured uniform groups and military might.
The four-minute clip was unveiled last month at an event to celebrate the opening of a new housing complex in Pyongyang.
Analysts say the video “pandered” to young people who were exposed to Western culture and K-pop, and aimed to soothe youth frustration over economic woes in North Korea.
“This is part of Kim’s efforts to reach out to the young generations and enhance his friendly image as a caring leader to consolidate his grip on power”, said Lim Eul-chul, professor of political science at Kyungnam University.
The move is also in line with Kim’s bid to pivot from a cult of personality around his ancestors that may not be “conducive” for his leadership, Lim said, pointing out that North Korea under Kim Jong-un has cut back on overt displays of adulation commemorating his grandfather, Kim Il-sung, and his father, Kim Jong-il.
Additional reporting by Reuters
